Mouthful of Moonlight
by Jirubee
Summary: Within the prefectures of Naboo, there have been reports of grisly murders caused by supernatural forces - werewolves, to be exact. Much to Rey's chagrin, it turns out that she may have just bit off more than she can chew when her disbelief causes her to have an unfortunate encounter with the big bad wolf, himself.
1. Whistle to the Choir

The news reports of _werewolves_ came in droves leaving the prefecture of Naboo, and all lying suburbs on their toes. As the anchorwoman furrowed her brows on the screen, the girl mirroring her at her kitchen table did too. Though, her interest waned with an eye roll as she glanced at the calendar. Noting the red tally marks through half of October, she snorted and continued to stuff Cheetos into her gullet.

"You've got to me kidding me." She muttered, still listening to the reports on the last murder in the Jakku district. " Did they ever stop to think it may be a bunch of gutterpunks pulling stunts for some Halloween bullshit?"

It wasn't surprising in itself that there had been a murder there. Rey remembered growing up on those concrete streets, hiding out in the rusted trains to become invisible. It was dangerous as it was, and it didn't need any _mysterious creatures_ to make it that way.

Her roommate ate his cereal, scrunching his face at the 20 inch screen he had mounted on the wall. "Little Bit, I'm not surprised by anything that happens there. I'm glad you made it out of there okay and now we can just sit and watch awful things happen from the luxury of our apartment."

Rey shook her head as a smirk overtook her. Finn had been the best friend she had ever had. He took her in without question, and listened to her drivel about her obsession with these supernatural occurrences - _no matter how much she tried to dissuade herself from believing them._

"I still don't think you should go out alone. It's still really dangerous this time of year. If you take Niney on a walk, you should do it before dark." He said, cleaning up the mess he had made.

Rey glowered at this. She had never needed protecting before, and she was perfectly fine handling herself in the event she ran into _the big bad wolf_ on her way home.

"I think you know me better than that."

Finn turned from the sink, brushing his wet fingers along an oversized college sweatshirt. It belonged to his boyfriend, Poe, and he winced at the new stain he had added to it.

"I will not be able to live with myself if anything happens to you. I mean, Poe would _kill_ me and so would like five other people. So as long as I can keep you from getting into trouble - _don't give me that look."_

Rey crossed her arms over her chest as she skidded her chair, giving him _the look._

 _"_ All I'm saying is that I am a big girl and can take care of myself. Even as interesting as the supernatural is, I don't really believe it. And I certainly don't believe it's anyone other than those nasty guys that hang around _Plutt's."_

"Even more reason for you to be cautious. They're awful people and they did horrible things to you before. Eventually the police will catch them and you won't have to worry anymore." Finn's face spread into a bright, reassuring smile. He placed a kiss on top of the messy copper pile of hair on Rey's head and made his way to the living room.

"You drive such a hard bargain, Finn." She placated him before clicking and whistling for Niney to wake up for his walk. "I'll take the taser with me and the dog whistle just in case I summon a big scary shapeshifter or something."

Finn audibly groaned. "Take your fudging cellphone."

Rey popped her head around the corner, holding the leash in her hands. "Editing ourselves now?"

He rolled his dark eyes at her as he flipped on his laptop. " _Some of us_ have to monitor our language at work. And I teach kids, do you really want me to tell them to fuck up their opponents in dodgeball?"

Rey giggled, pulling on a black hoodie with her favorite band's logo scrawled on the front. "Ye s. " She grinned. Sending him a wink, she called Niney once again. The not so little Lapphund, who looked like a beast himself, came barreling into the kitchen, rolling over the linoleum.

She tossed him a treat and pet his sweet face. He was missing one eye and had had an operation on his hind leg. Rey loved him more for it. He was her protector and he was a little devilish thing.

The girl cooed at her beastly dog as they left the apartment. She found him abandoned in the old train yard, and brought him home with her some years ago. She liked fixing broken things, and so far he had been the best.

Finn thought so, too.

Outside, the cool autumn air bit at her nose as she made her way down the stairs. A shiver ran down her spine as she quickly found their most traveled path - a well lit sidewalk, lined with baroque street lights and glowing orange and purple decor from the neighboring houses.

It was an entirely different world from the Jakku district. She felt like royalty living in that two bedroom space and not in a proverbial tin can with a leaking roof that rested above a bodega run by some less than savory people.

She couldn't do this there. She couldn't walk along the streets and listen to music in her headphones while she walked Niney. It even _smelled_ better here.

Niney liked it better, too. She ran her fingers over his head as they stopped at a small crosswalk that lined the edge of the upper middle class subdivision, and she reveled in the nothingness that laid beyond it.

The park was dark as it ascended into a rolling hill. There were small natural pods with native wildlife and swings and a hiking trail. Most of all, she loved the openness of it and the way the stars seemed to glean above her.

It was her favorite place. She let Niney off his leash as she walked around staring above her. The faint smell of a bonfire stung her nose with some sort of delight. It broke her heart that Finn worried about her like he did.

She longed for the simplicity of this kind of freedom. Rey closed her eyes, relaxing for just a moment before she noticed that Niney was _gone._ She tossed her headphones on the ground and fumbled in her pouch for the whistle.

" _Niney! Nineeeey!"_

Rey panicked more than she realized. Anxiety ate at her as she looked behind her, suddenly aware of all of the creaks and cracks of the outdoors. Niney was her security blanket and it made her heart climb in her throat when the wind caressed the back of her neck, and when the darkness of the night became more apparent.

Rey stared at the endless skyline and bathed in the cool white light of the full moon. All of that werewolf mumbo jumbo made her hair stand on end.

 _No,_ she was overreacting.

She told herself as much anyway. Her small hands smeared across her worried face as the shadows seemed to dance menacingly like spectors haunting her vision.

 _Finn was right._ Rey scolded herself. Teeth bore down against her lip as she walked frantically in circles. She passed the playground and the ponds in the distance, and stood at the mouth of the thrust of pines.

With shaky hands, she removed her phone and turned on the flashlight. The whistle hung from her neck as she plucked it in her mouth, blowing it to find nothing but the rustling trees.

The faint white light of her phone illuminated the small dirt covered path and she went rigid. She should have gone home. She should have listened. She shouldn't be there alone.

Rey fought with herself as she cautiously treaded a little deeper, a little further onto the trail before she heard familiar barking.

A wave of relief washed over her, but it was short lived as a towering _creature_ rushed in front of her vision. She was catatonic, far too frightened to even breathe as her heart pummeled in a frequency she didn't recognize and skipped a beat as she stood painfully still. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and wake up at home. Yet, he stalked about her precariously.

Rey moved her fingers centimeter by centimeter, barely recognizing her own thoughts and movements as fear besieged her. She had never known true, unadulterated _fear_ like she did in that moment.

Its teeth were large, crooked in some places and it lumbered on four long legs. It reminded her of the _Black Shuck_ and all sense of time ceased. Her fingers found the taser and she swallowed as it stepped closer.

Her own breath was forced out, feeling the sting of the cold and the pure adrenaline coursing through her.

Its dark fur was so similar to Niney's. It was smooth looking, wavy and its features pronounced as two dark eyes,as black as the night, peered back at her.

The moment she made eye contact, it raised upon its haunches. It was over six feet tall, wide, and muscular. It would completely decimate her or eat her whole if it got ahold of her. This was the moment her mouth parted, rippling in the air with a blood curdling scream.

She dropped her phone.

She turned and ran like she had never ran in her life. Everything felt like it was slow motion as she ran down the trail towards the park. Her eyes had screwed shut, but the taser was free and ignited. It wasn't smart, but she wasn't thinking. The hum consoled her as the glinting blue light gave her some fragment of reassurance as he descended upon her.

A clawed hand swatted at her, sending her tumbling to the ground. She ended up being stopped by a tree stump, losing the taser a few feet away.

Blindly she crawled to it as if she were possessed. When the creature pounced, she rolled over stabbing the device across its face. It recoiled, howling as it tried to regain its footing. The stench of burned flesh permeated the air, and she bolted in her one moment of freedom. A second longer and she knew she would have been dead.

She ran past the swingsets. In the midst of the hysteria, she had tripped and rolled down a portion of the hill before she heard it trailing behind her. Rey stumbled, grabbing the entrance gate and removing the long bar lock. At least she had _something_ to defend herself.

She stopped only for a moment to see it stall before the exit. The lighted street below exposed a few people drinking their coffees and walking their own dogs. It was afraid to be seen in the light, and the girl listened to the deafening snarls fading as it watched her from the incline.

Blood stained her shirt and her hands were muddied by the ground. When she made it to the sidewalk, she ran in between the street lights to be seen.

The residents didn't pay her any mind, too focused on their own conversation. She didn't relax until she climbed the stairs of her apartment, slumping down against the door to finally catch her breath.

Her quivering hands cemented themselves to her face, wiping away the cold sweat covering her skin like a film. Her eyes closed as her heart rate slowed. She wouldn't be able to sleep. Even in the security of her own home, she wondered if it would find her.

Her body went slack. She could barely keep her head up and everything felt unbearably heavy. Rey's last conscious thought was if that fucking creature had laid a grimey clawed finger on her Niney.

At some point, she awoke to Finn slapping at her face after dragging her into the apartment. Vertigo made it almost impossible to focus on any particular thing. A gasp punctured the air as she shot up, noticing clean clothes and a piping hot cup of tea on the coffee table.

Tears creased the edges of her eyes as she recoiled, bawling over her own poor decisions. "I'm so sorry, Finn. I-I should have listened! I saw it! I saw it! It attacked me and I lost Niney!"

Finn flinched, cupping her face reassuringly. "I need you to repeat that. You saw _what,_ exactly?"

Rey sniveled, shaking her head. "The fucking werewolf! It fucking attacked me, Finn! What do I even do now? Do I call the police?" She was frantic, barely making sense.

Finn scoffed in disbelief. "I don't think it was the werewolf, sweetheart. It was probably a regular old wolf. Niney has done this before and he came home with a rabbit last time." He soothed her, handing her a napkin.

Rey blew her nose and took the tea, glancing at the trees outside of their window. She immediately shot up to close the blinds. She couldn't even _look_ outside right now.

Trying to tell Finn what she went through was easy, but whatever _it_ was, was a different story entirely. She countered him with every possible scenario and still _nothing_ but mansplaining. He did that sometimes. Though, she wondered if was just trying to calm her down.

Aside from being sore and bruised, she has managed to escape unscathed. She didn't see the laceration lining her spine, or the minute puncture just below her shoulder blade.

She washed up and laid down in her room with the light on as she obsessively looked up information on werewolves. Rey did this for days as Finn finally came to terms with what had happened. The authorities were notified, an anonymous telecast was on the news, and she felt justified for the days after the incident.

Niney had yet to come home, but they made posts and flyers for every street corner and every house in the mile radius - _at least it felt like that many._

Rey had been good and _listened_ to warnings and didn't venture out alone after dark. She made sure to take an Uber home if she got off late at the body shop. And she made sure to keep a backpack of standard implements - _silver coins, a new taser, mace, a small switchblade (legal two inches) and a bag of gummies for when she was hungry._

Finn packed them for her every morning. She had resigned herself to this new way of life, and she glowered at the sight of the night rolling overhead. Maybe it wasn't a werewolf, she thought. Maybe it was just a wolf or a deformed bear, or a diseased something or another.

 _Anything other than a werewolf._

Rey shook it off the best she could and she resigned herself to frequenting the local library. Her friend Rose worked at the circulation desk, and nearly fainted when she saw the girl standing in front of the counter.

" _Well! What have we here?!"_ The woman squealed, adjusting her bright yellow glasses as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her cardigan.

Rey feigned a smile at Rose. She couldn't help but smile at her cherubic face. She looked like one of those girls that fell out of an indie film with her dark hair and sweet demeanor, but she was fierce and ferocious and took no shit. Rey loved her more than she loved herself.

"Don't get too excited. This isn't going to happen for a while. I actually need your help finding a specific book." Rey said, tapping her blunt nails along the melamine counter.

Rose grinned, "Okay, I'm ready, which one?" Her hands worked quickly on the keyboard as she siphoned through the catalogues.

" _Therianthropic Whills_ by Luke Skywalker."

Rose pushed her glasses up, "You're the second person that's asked for that title today. A man asked me for it just a little while ago! You maybe able to beat him to it. I know he's still in here."

Rey flashed a quick smile. "Thanks! Also, please come to dinner on Saturday night. Finn wants you to help him fix Poe's precious _Republic University_ jumper."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I will, but you should probably hurry!" She giggled. " The occult and cryptid section is located next to funeral practices ending in .946!"

Rey nodded and left her backpack at the circulation desk. She inhaled the sombering smell of the books and the freshly made pot of coffee in the reading knook. It was one of the first times she had felt truly relaxed in two weeks.

She searched the sections until she reached her destination. Most of the books on Lycanthropy were checked out and she mused about the reason why. Quietly, she skimmed her fingers over the spines until she found the correct collection of Skywalker reference materials.

She stood on her tip toes squinting at the numerical codes and huffed when she realized she couldn't quite reach the book in question. Looking away, she found a step stool and climbed upon it. As she reached it with her newfound height, long fingers plucked it off the shelf for her.

She flinched, not realizing someone else was there. The book was dropped securely into her arms before she turned to thank the person. Rey almost gasped as she saw his face. A long, fresh wound partitioned the halves of his face she was high enough to meet his gaze with her own.

"Th-thank you." She held the book close to her chest as she stepped down. He picked up the stool and moved it back to its corner and sat back down with his own stack of Lycanthropy and therian books.

"You looked like you needed a little help." He said, his voice low and strong.

A blush settled on her cheeks as she noted how tall and dark his eyes were. He was handsome in a peculiar way, and those eyes of his drew her in.

She was in a library for a reason! She wasn't there to make eyes at the first man that did anything remotely nice for her that wasn't Finn or his boyfriend.

Rey cleared her throat, "Do you mind if I sit here?"

He raised his dark eyes to meet hers for a flittering second. "We're here for the same reasons, I assume. Do what you want, who am I to stop you?"

The girl brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, which he noticed as he eyed her throat. His teeth nipped at his lip before letting his eyes focus on the words in the book.

It was embarrassing how hard it was for him not to climb out of his seat. His feet fidgeted beneath the table and his hand creased upon his knee. _Kylo Ren_ was begging to come out.

There were only a handful of reasons for this, and he glowered at the prospect of what that actually meant. This girl was familiar. She had to have been like him. He could feel it. There was something he knew about her, and he couldn't place his finger on it.

"I'm Ben." He blurted, never raising his eyes from the book. He turned the pages blindly. He was supposed to be trying to figure out how to _not be the monster_ he was, not fixate on a woman he didn't even know.

Rey made a small sound and glanced up from her book, noticing how long and sharp his jaw was and how broad he was. She was drawn to him and the dangerous undertones she could sense off of him. She never made good decisions and this certainly was not going to be one of them.

"I'm Rey Johnson." Her freckled cheeks raised as she grinned crookedly.

Why did she tell him her last name? She never told anyone. She was stupid, especially after all of the tumult of the recent month.

"Why are you reading shapeshifting?" He asked nonchalantly, straightening himself as he took a sip of coffee from an employee mug - _he took it. He hated Styrofoam._

Rey shifted uncomfortably, "I mean, with all of these horrible things going on, I just wanted to brush up. You?"

Ben smirked, "I just like knowing useless things." _Liar. You're a terrible liar and she can tell._

They were both lying to themselves and each other.

"What-uh..." Rey gestured to the scar on his face, "...I'm sorry if that's out of line."

Ben furrowed his brows as he closed the book. He practiced every morning after a transformation. He recited bullshit stories to himself until he _almost_ believed them.

"I blacked out and when I woke up, my face was messed up and I was outside." He said as a matter of factly. It wasn't necessarily a lie. He could only remember bits and pieces of Ren. He had his own separate consciousness but they had become more interconnected recently.

Rey nodded absently. "A similar thing happened to me. I was out walking my dog and I ended up blacking out. I was pretty banged up, but other than that I was fine. Do you think maybe you were attacked?" Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

Ben lowered his head, leaning a little closer. Meeting her eyes once more, he felt a swell of heat rushing through him. His feet planted firmly on the floor to ground himself as Ren's consciousness bled into the corners of his mind.

 _Her. Her. Her. It was her._

"I wasn't attacked by a werewolf." He said, his eyes trained on hers as some faint realization passed through her.

Rey leaned back, mouth parted as she noticed the position of his injury and the darkness of his hair and his stature. _Oh bloody hell._

She glanced at the clock and picked up the book as casually as possible. "It was nice meeting you, Ben."

He pushed himself to his feet standing tall across from her. He was even the same size as the _shuck._ Rey scaled his height and felt her heart tremble as she exhaled sharply, watching his large hand cross the table.

She hesitated before taking it. When she did, she felt something warm kindling in that touch.

"I'm sure I'll see you around."

Rey felt like running. Her adrenaline was starting to go berserk and she knew he knew. _Ben_ was not terrifying. Whatever _monster_ that he became was terrifying.

"We'll see." She grinned sheepishly, ignoring the electricity scorching her fingers as she pulled away.

As she packed up and head back to the circulation desk, Rose happily took the book as Rey looked over her shoulder at the table Ben had sat at. He wasn't there.

"Oh who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Rey snapped her head around, gripping to the counter as if it grounded her to reality. Rose was singing to herself as she closed her eyes. Every muscle in her body was tense and she realized she had just told _that nightmare_ her name.

 _Fuck._

Rey bolted out the door. She had to call the police on him. He needed to be detained. Other people would get killed if she didn't, but _Ben_ seemed rather docile.

The girl thunked her head on the kitchen table when she got home, clutching the book close to her chest as she had at the library. He's a person just like her, right?

A sharp pain tore through her neck and she let out a cry as she dropped the book on the floor. "What in the hell?"

She whimpered, reaching around her neck to remove the necklace she always wore. She always forgot about it and it burned like the fires of hell. It singed her fingers as she tossed it on the table.

Rey plastered her hands on the table and stared hopelessly at the charm. _It was silver._

Why did everything suddenly smell so different? Why did everything feel so strange and dizzying? She looked out the window as the night time began to roll in. There wasn't another full moon this month.

Rey felt her teeth graze her lip with acute precision, drawing blood with minimal effort.

Immediately, she flipped open the book and found the the horrifying answer in the first chapter.

\- _"While it is not necessarily to be bitten by a Lycanthrope to suffer from a series of similar analogues, it_ is, _in fact, important to note that there will be involuntary symptoms after obtaining D.N.A. transfer such as: unknown laceration, close proximity contact, osmosial airborne particles._

 _It is treated much like a known medical disease. You will suffer loss of memory, mood swings, heightened senses, sensitivities to discouraged metals and mediums. Unless saliva is transferred into the blood stream, there is a low chance of transformation._

 _Though, it should be noted that_ some _cases have been documented. One needn't worry about the possibility of long term therianism as the genetic predisposition would need to be pre-existing as with other illness._

 _Be mindful of specific lunar schedules, maintain calming and repression devices for sure nights. For male_ werewolves or other shapeshifters, _it is very important to note severely high testosterone levels that will cause blackouts and poor impulse control._

 _Do not let the beast control you. You must control it._

 _Often,_ female shifters _will_ feel _when the Alpha is returning to its primal state. Side with caution when interacting, as this can become very messy if the_ human host _is not likely to become your mate under other circumstance."_

Rey sank onto the floor staring blankly at the newscast on the television. Ben's face streaked across it.

" _Ben Solo won the most recent poll under the guidance of Leia Organa."_

 _" Thank you for watching R2 in the Evening with Amilyn Holdo and Cassian Andor. Tune in at 11:00PM for the Republic University Football scores."_

The girl took a deep breath. " _Fuck."_


	2. Don't Talk to Strangers

_Pacing. Days of pacing._

That's what she did now. She knew his name. He knew hers. A strange energy burned through her senses as she chewed on a stick of cinnamon gum.

Rey balked, spitting it out into her palm. It _burned._ It overloaded her senses and made her nose sore just from the smell. She wondered if this was something akin to being pregnant.

She stopped pacing long enough for to ponder that burning question.

 _Sure, that'll be over in nine months and_ this _lasts for God knows how long._ Rey scowled to herself as she stepped to the window. She felt like a caged animal. The fear she had felt evaporated, leaving her with an urgency that came to a tumultuous head when the sun went down.

She wriggled in place as she stared at her faint reflection in the sliding door. Part of her thought she looked more dangerous now, but how much more dangerous could a lanky little girl be in a baggy shirt and yoga pants?

Rey felt sweaty and swatted her hands as she bounced eagerly on her feet. She couldn't focus, couldn't stay still long enough to avoid her own impulses. Her interaction with Ben kept creeping into her mind, and she let out a defeated sigh as her eyes fell across the library book.

Maybe she was just being paranoid. There was no possible way that she could be suffering from, as it was worded so gingerly by Skywalker " _traumatic empathy"._

Rey chewed at her lip as she felt the urge to head to the front door. She unlatched it, inhaling the familiar scent of Finn's cologne. When she opened the door, he wasn't there. Her brows knit together with concern as she shook off the feeling.

"You are being down right obnoxious." Rey sighed. This Halloween fever must have gotten to her because she was starting to _almost_ believe this trivial nonsense.

But as she saw Finn ascending the stairs, unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, she tried to chock it up to coincidence.

 _Deny. Deny. Deny._

"Rey, how many days are you going to be waiting for me? I never get home at the same time." Finn beamed, bopping her nose gently with the tip of his finger. "It's like we're married, but obviously not because I don't think Poe would like that."

He paused as he sat his small briefcase down and cringed. "I wouldn't either."

Rey's expression soured, "I, myself, find the situation equally repulsive. Thank you. I am a disgusting creature of habit who doesn't wash their hair or remembers to wear deodorant everyday." She instinctively sniffed, grimacing in response.

"Bit, please stop being so self deprecating."

The girl was half way to her bedroom when she turned, " _Never._ Wait," she thought she smelled someone familiar. "is Poe coming by?"

Finn quickly popped out of his room with a fresh t-shirt on and his headset. "Actually, yes. We're _finally_ picking out costumes for the Halloween party."

Rey rolled her eyes. "Are they matching?"

 _She already knew the answer to that._

"Of course they are."

"Your love is disgusting. I hope you know that. I will never have someone love me like that man loves you." She hummed, grabbing his keys off the table.

"Are you heading somewhere?" He asked with eyes shimmering with concern as he plopped down on the secondhand sofa.

Rey grabbed her jacket off the rack. "I'm hungry." She wasn't lying. She was always hungry. It was a good excuse to _leave_ and get some desperately needed fresh air. Escapism was all she had to quell her trembling nerves.

"You know what I'm about to say to you." Finn huffed, shaking his head.

"I know, Finn, but I _really really really_ need to get out of the house. I'm going crazy." She shuffled back to her room and threw on a pair of black jeans and a pair of boots.

"I understand that, but ever since the _incident_ you've been acting strange. I get that this is a huge deal and that you're dealing with _a lot_ right now, but something else has been a bit _off."_

Rey shook her head as she headed out the door, grabbing her backpack. "I promise I'm fine."

The whole ordeal had made her a bit of a liar, and she wasn't too keen on it. She was too blunt to be delicate, but there wasn't really another option right now. At least not until she forced Ben to tell her the truth, she thought as she headed out the door.

She recognized Poe's scent before he even got out of the car. And she hustled to avoid having to have a second conversation about her perpetual state of well-being. It made her rigid as she clattered down the stairs to Finn's modest 2011 Corolla with the bent fender. They couldn't have nice things, she sighed.

Albeit, that particular dent was _her_ fault. The other dings were from the neighbors putting golf balls off the balcony one night, and she balked at that.

She rolled down the window to soothe the ache in her bones and smelled the sweet perfume in the air. The fall wind chilled her face as she peeled off, leaving her relaxed until she saw the park entrance.

She slowed down, almost tempted to run up the hill and see if she could find _anything_ that might be useful. It was like she was spellbound by it. It was stupid. All that she wanted was Niney to come home, and so far there had been little to no resolve of the matter.

Rey let out a little whine as the red light turned, spilling shades of green across her face. She headed down the main strip, finding nothing of interest; save for the newly opened costume shops and the hole in the wall diner she loved.

Her mouth watered at the idea of a bloody steak being slapped on a plate. She rarely she meat, and it made her stomach knot. After a while, she even tried flipping through the stations only to hear more reports of attacks and dead bodies being found at different points across the district.

Shaking her head, she pulled over outside of the Ahch-to historical building. The dim yellow lights crawled over the brick building as it cast an ominous shadow along the street. There was a familiar smell wafting in the air that made her anxious and she eyed the block for anyone or anything she might know.

Then there _she_ was. Senator Organa burst out of the building, waving her hands about as she tried to tug a long down over her feet. Her voice carried loud enough for Rey to hear, and she rolled down the passenger window just a little to open up the airwaves.

" _I swear to God, Ben."_

Rey perked up, furrowing her brows as she chewed on overly flavored cherry gummies.

"Can I have _one_ night where you aren't a complete, incompetent ass?" Her voice rasped as she reached into her purse for a cigarette.

"I don't think this is the time or place to preach to me about not wanting to follow in your footsteps. I have a career of my own, and I would like to omit myself from this campaign for _obvious reasons._ " Ben huffed, running a hand through his hair. His trail of vision immediately found its way to the car.

Rey sank in the seat. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

That was apparently her new favorite word. She had run out of all coherent thought as his scent billowed in her nose and sent a wave of _something_ down to her toes. Her calves tightened as she clenched her jaw _wishing_ the situation away.

She could almost _taste_ him. What in the hell was wrong with her? None of it made any sense! Her hands climbed her face as she listened to the argument for a moment longer.

"That's fine and good, but you're just as bad as your father with commitments!"

"Do not compare me to _Han!"_

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act like such a dog, Ben!"

Ben touched his leveraged cheek and inhaled sharply as he aggressively kicked over the potted plants rested outside of the door. Rey could almost feel his adrenaline spiking from where she sat. She knew she should leave.

This wasn't a good situation. To be fair, it wasn't like hers was much better. She scolded herself for not listening to Finn _again._ It would save her a lot of heartache and trouble if she just stayed put sometimes.

"Ben, _look at me."_ Leia snapped her fingers as she stamped out her cigarette. "What's so interesting over there, hmm? You need to focus. I want the best for you, but you make this so hard." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I'm going to go. I will see you next week and we can discuss this when you're not loaded on the bottom shelf free wine." Ben snapped, finding his tone to be just as complacent as he was.

His eyes flittered back to the car as Leia cursed him beneath her breath. When the door slammed shut, he descended the stair without though, loosening the tie on his suit. Rey closed her eyes sensing just how close he was. Part of her prayed that she was imagining all of the things that had happened. Maybe it was all in her head and that this strange magic was steeped in her like the things she saw on television.

It was all make believe until it happened to her.

She didn't have to wait for him to rap his fingers on the window for her to roll it down, still sunken halfway too the floorboard with embarassment.

"My, my, my." Ben grinned as he pressed his arms against the opening she made for him. He was too large to be savvy and cool while he hung on the side of the car. He looked awkward, but not as awkward as she felt.

"I went for a drive and ended up here." Rey said, finding courage to push herself upright.

"Don't get any ideas, Ben. I didn't expect to see you here."

His dark eyes stared at her knowingly, and it confirmed what he suspected at the library. _Kylo_ had interjected this much, and it seemed justified that she started showing _symptoms._

"I just find the irony in it to be really savory."

Rey found it in herself to look at him. It was hard enough to even do that when all she wanted to do was breathe him in. He smelled so good, so masculine and earthy.

 _She was crazy._

"Do you need something or are you my new car ornament?" She bit.

Ben scowled at her, "Do you want me to be?"

He smirked coyly to himself as her scent changed. She smelled sweet, distinctive in comparison to the overwhelming zealots bathing in perfume and cologne in the Ahch-to building. It was soothing, almost.

He swallowed hard.

"I-I don't think that's appropriate, Ben. I don't _know_ you." She stammered, finding her cheeks alive with a newfound fire. Why did she find him so damn attractive? She wanted to sink her teeth in his - _no, what are you doing, Rey?!_

She shook her head. "Just get in the damn car. I can't pussyfoot around this."

Ben obliged her. The only irritation was the other masculine scents lingering in the fabric of the car, and the stupid pine tree air freshener dangling from the rear view mirror. _Pine did_ not _smell like that._

"Look, I don't know how to say this but I think I _know."_ Rey stared ahead, trying her best not to be overwhelmed by the gravity of his presence.

Ben chewed at his lip for a moment in thought. He wasn't frightened by this, not in the least. _Kylo_ rumbled within him, pushing him towards her in a way that signified some sort of trust. Afterall, _he_ chose her. There must have been truth to his thoughts at the library.

"I'm not going to ask you _not_ to panic or kick me out of the car or try to not kill me _again."_ He said quietly. His voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Her eyes rolled over him, inspecting each knook and cranny of his face. "Why did you attack me?" She asked point blank. "When I met you in the library, I couldn't figure out with you were familiar. It's been eating me alive trying to make sense of everything happening to me. And," she exhaled, "I thought maybe you could help me."

Her heart fumbled and her hands rung together as she found herself rigid against the driver's seat. She hoped she didn't just make a huge ass out of herself, but even if she had, it would have been one less thing to worry about in the end.

Ben shot her a sad smile as he struggled to suppress the animalistic urgency that swelled in his body. "You could have killed me, but you didn't, honestly. Kylo saw potential in you. Did he harm you? I understand the discomfort you're feeling right now. You've been reading your literature over this subject, haven't you?"

Rey's hand shot protectively to her neck, feeling her pulse quicken still. It was staccato and hurt. "Is-is that the name of the monster?"

Ben shriveled at the meek whine of her voice.

"I know this is probably too much. I can hear your stomach growling. Let me buy you dinner." It was a good excuse to keep her close to him. If nothing else, he would at least be able to be smothered by her scent. "We can be somewhere you'll clearly be more comfortable."

Rey nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Don't be. You need answers. You need help. I'll give it to you." _I would give her more than enough,_ Ben thought miserably. He winced covering his face with his hands while Rey sped down the street.

He was disgusting. Rey was beautiful, and he was sure she would make him just as nervous without without _Kylo_ pushing him towards her. It had taken great restraint not to climb all over her the first day they had met, and now was even harder.

He talked to her about literally anything other than the subject she _needed_ to know about. And at dinner, she got her rare steak; which was devoured as though _she_ were the animal.

As they say in the very back of the restaurant, one too fancy for Rey to feel entirely secure in, he downed a glass of wine in preparation for the _talk._

 _"_ Talk as quietly as you can. I don't think anyone will pay attention, but you can't be too careful." Ben said, ignoring the Rey licked whipped cream off her finger.

She chewed on her piece of pie and nodded. "Let's try this again. Okay," She was ready this time. "How long have you been in this condition?"

"13 years, 14 in January. Next."

"Does it hurt you?"

"Yes, but you get used to it. Next."

"How did it happen?"

Ben took a moment to clear his mind and he leaned in close. Rey almost damned him for it.

"I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. Specifically, I had gone to visit my grandfather's grave without my mother, and shortly after dark, I was attacked by an old mangy, scarred up - _very unpleasant -_ lycan. I think I was about 21."

Rey furrowed her brows. His voice wavered when he spoke about it and it made her ache. Ben wasn't so bad, but the experience she went through was not exactly pleasant either.

"I'm really-"

"I'm just glad I could tell someone." He flashed her a crooked grin. "Next."

"Have you been _clechhhh?"_ She gestured with a butter knife _slitting her throat._

Ben clenched his jaw. His lips pressed in a tight line as he shook his head. " _No._ Not me. Others yes. Careless ones. We'll discuss this later. Next."

"Will you be this the rest of your life?" Rey asked, finishing off her desert. Ben took it upon himself to run his finger through the left over whipped cream and she tensed at this.

"Yes, unfortunately. You learn to coexist."

"So, you have two lives?"

Ben swayed for a moment. "I suppose, more like share consciousness. You have to balance yourself constantly, which is very difficult when you have someone as strong willed as Kylo."

"That's his name? Do others have names?"

"Yes, actually. We split into two halves essentially."

"Will I?" She asked, eyes searching his face. He saw the unrest there and frowned slightly at the question.

"Again, did _he_ hurt you?"

"Just scrapes and bruises."

"You should be fine, but please be mindful that it can _still_ happen."

"I read that in Skywalker's book. I still haven't taken it back to the library. I probably won't until they send the book police to my house." Rey teased, erasing the evidence of her apprehensions.

She liked this more than she should. And she liked him a bit too much.

"Luke sure knows _exactly_ what he's talking about." Ben muttered bitterly, taking a swig of wine.

"Are you being facetious?" Rey asked, propping her head in her hand as though she was enamored - _she was, but that wasn't the point._

Ben laughed for a moment. It lasted for a fleeting few seconds. "That's a story for another day. Let me ask you some things when we leave."

The girl nodded as he stood up, gesturing at the server as he left a wad of money on the table. He nonchalantly pulled out her chair and she knocked crumbs off her jacket because she was a _classy lady_ and deserved to be there.

A few people stared at Ben as they exited, and he knew it was because they knew his mother. It would only be a matter of time before she jumped him about his love life, too.

Rey felt indulgent in breathing in the crisp night air. It was a relief to be away from the mixture of scents inside. All that mattered right now was that Ben's soothed her senses as she made her way down the sidewalk.

"So, have you noticed any changes?" Ben asked, peering down at the top of her head as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Rey snorted, "Truthfully, I feel like a hypochondriac. Everything smells so intense. I can't stand it sometimes. I get antsy when I stay still. I noticed my teeth and nails are stronger and _sharper._ I _feel_ things I can't explain. It's almost like I feel like a demon or something."

"Have you felt urges?" Ben asked casually, not looking at her as they rounded the corner to the parking lot.

Rey stopped for a moment, "No!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms protectively over her chest before loosening herself up. "That's not what this is about."

"Ask me something then." Ben shrugged, kicking the cold gravel as he took a deep breath and leaned against the car.

Rey slid next to him, closer than she should have been. At the end of the day, he was an interesting person. There was something about she felt like she would like even if the circumstance was different. Despite this, she stared ahead of her and quelled the tumult raging inside of her. It didn't feel quite the same and her mind seemed to shift with an unknown presence.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" She asked quietly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

Ben turned to her, eyes piercing her peripheral vision as though he could see through her. He swallowed and took a deliberate moment of silence as he tried to collect his own thoughts.

"What would you do if I had?" He asked, finding the girl stiff and anxious like she had been when Kylo had happened upon her on the trail.

"I'm angry enough that you _could_ have easily killed me two weeks ago. I'm angry that I met you and somehow ended up here." Rey breathed, "I'm angry that I don't know what's even happening with my body and that it wasn't my choice. I'm angry that Niney is gone. I'm angry that you, _Ben,_ are a reasonably decent person. I don't know if I could be any more angry at you if you did."

Emotion cut across her face as she found herself staring up at him. The lamp light spilled over him, and she hated how soft he looked under those pale fluorescent fingers.

Ben stood straight, holding his tongue as she passionately preached to him. He had felt all of the things she had all of those years ago.

"Ask me another question." Her hazel eyes gleaned at him and it made his blood boil. It was a probing curiosity that rested within them that made him struggle with himself.

"Are you turning me in to the authorities? I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"No. Next."

She stepped around him in as if she stalked a kill. It was a new feeling that rose within her as her senses heightened. It was terrifying to her.

Ben turned with her, "Are you afraid?"

Rey lowered her eyes, staring at his mouth. She wanted to taste him. Rey fought against the beast living inside of her. It was the first time she heard it's voice.

 _Take him. Take him. Take him. He's yours._

"Of what, Ben?" She dared him.

Ben smirked, circling her until her back rested against the car. She held her breath as he leaned in close enough to feel her breath upon her face and the tip of her nose rested fractionally in front of his.

"The big, bad wolf."

Rey felt her whole body pulse. She wanted to climb his large frame until was completely consumed by her weight. His dark voice left her roiling with a tempestuous desire that she feared he could easily read.

"No, but I think you're afraid of what I could be." She whispered, finding his hands caging her in place. She let her eyes fall to his throat. He smelled so good. Tasting that sweet spot upon his collar would be more satisfying than she could even begin to fathom.

 _Don't hesitate. Take what's yours. Now. Now. Now._

The voice inside whined desperately.

"No, little girl. You're about to wake something in me you haven't seen." Ben heeded, pressing his body closer to hers.

"Next." Rey tested.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked. " _Please."_

 _Yes. Yes. Yes. Taste your owner._

Rey was torn from her stupor and pushed him back. "What in the fuck is going on with me? I can't do this. I can't. I can't. I don't know you. I'm not that kind of person. Get in the fucking car so I go home."

Ben recoiled as if she had slapped him. His thick brows furrowed as his teeth ached in his mouth. They needed to bury themselves inside of that tender flesh so no one else could _think_ of touching her.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you do not leave right now, you are going to be a very sorry girl." He said feeling his chest tightening. "Go. Right now."

Rey fumbled with the keys as she frantically tried to climb in the car. "I thought werewolves only turned on the full moon!" She rasped, clamoring against the seat as she fumbled with the buckle.

Ben shook his head, flexing his hands as he felt the familiar searing pain shooting through his muscle, constricting the very breath in his lungs. He had to get away from her before Kylo overtook his senses and stripped him of basic human behavior.

Rey sped off as she watched him bolt across the parking lot to a field nearby. The sheer gravity of what transpired between them left her mouth try and her body aching in a way she had never felt before. That voice in her mind ticked away, leaving a burgeoning presence she wanted to expunge.

As the little car sped around the block, the thought of leaving Ben behind ate at her. She shouldn't even care what happened to him after what he did. Yet here she was, allowing the needle of morally ambiguous compass to point in his direction.

 _He'll give you what you want. He's the alpha. I know it. He is stronger than the others._

The voice thrummed.

Rey slammed the brakes, "Stop fucking with me!" She screamed as she skidded into a stop sign.

It was so jarring she slammed her head on the steering wheel, almost knocking her unconscious.

 _No. I am you now. You are the host._

Rey raised, feeling the warmth of her own blood slither down the slopes of her face. She felt disembodied and fragmented as she fumbled out of the car.

"Shut up!" Rey slurred, gripping her wounded head as she slathered blood along the side of the car as she tried to gain balance. She could smell Ben, or _Kylo,_ or whoever the fuck he was. It was faint, but he was close enough to send her senses into a frenzy.

 _Let me help you. The darkness will keep you alive. Let me out. Let me out. No moon will contain me._

Rey pounded her fist on the car door until she could no longer feel her knuckles. Where was anyone to help her? A jagged breath ripped from her throat as she felt her stomach begin to ripple with convulsions.

"I said _stop. Stop. Stop."_ She hissed as she felt on the cold concrete. She laid staring at the blurs of light that seemed to spin around her until the ceased to exist at all. The frequency that punctured her eardrums was magnified until it screeched like a banshee's howl.

The voice clawed at her. _Let me show you,_ it said like a ghost haunting her. And then it _stopped._

Rey didn't know how she ended up some time later in the middle of a field. The faint moonlight awoke her with a start. Her clothes were gone and the cold autumn air bit at her clammy skin. She pressed her fingers to her face, ran them along the rigids of her teeth as she wobbled to her feet.

She should have been afraid, but she wasn't. Her first thought was the car and Finn. He probably thought she was dead. The second rolling thought burned through her mind, then the third and fourth afterthoughts - _what exactly had she done? What had happened? Where was she?_

The question of whom the blood upon her dirtied fingers belonged to became a persist plague of concern. There was a strange euphoria that cradled her senses, as if compared to the down wave of complacency after an orgasm.

Her fingers instinctively shot to her neck, feeling the flesh for any tenderness. There were no new markings and she reveled in it. A small wave of relief washed over her.

The awareness of the secondary voice was gone, leaving her mind empty and aural as if the migraine had stopped.

The trek back to town was going to be embarrassing as she shivered, holding her bare body. A few houses lined the distance in sparse collections, and their lights flittered behind a thrush of foliage.

Rey shook her head. She couldn't go home like this. She _couldn't._ There was probably a proverbial shit storm on the corner of Corellia and Mos Eisley Boulevard. She slumped down on the seat ground listlessly for a moment, trying her best to collect herself while the truth of her suspicisions rang across the televisions of _everyone_ in the district.

 _ **Amilyn Holdo adjusted her hair,**_ smoothing out her suit as she stared directly into the camera. The remains of Finn's Corolla splayed across the street was in worse condition than anyone originally thought. Small speckles of blood puddled around the street. It looked far more grisly than it _actually_ was.

"Good evening. This is our top story of the night and we will be bringing you continual updates. There is no need for immediate alarm, but please remain vigilant and alert during this time. The images you are about to see are not for younger audiences, and we would like to express our concerns for their viewership." She stated calmly, slowly beginning to move to the area where the accident occurred.

"There has been a report of a human sized haired animal leaving the scene. It is possible that we have another _were_ sighting on our hands. We are uncertain at this time if there was a fatality. There should be a photo of the missing woman in the top left corner of your screens." Holdo squinted at the handheld teleprompter.

"If anyone has _any_ information on the woman's whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Her name is Rey Johnson. She _five six,_ hazel eyes, Caucasian, and slender framed."

Holdo turned away, adjusting her microphone as they panned down the street towards the direction of the restaurant. "She was last seen leaving _The Cantina_ on Takodana Avenue with running public official, _Ben Solo."_

The cameraman dropped three fingers, "As stated before, we will be giving you full updates as soon as we find out any information. Miss Johnson is the third missing person since the _werewolf_ sightings began and amongst the 12 total victims since the crimes have been reported. Stay tuned at R2. Cassian, back to you."

The broadcast was only a handful of minutes, but as a ritual Leia was a creature of habit and kept up with the goings on of her city.

The sheer utterance of _Ben Solo_ caused Leia to choke on her wine as she dropped her glass. " _Goddamit Ben!"_ She swore, diving into her purse for her cellphone.

A cigarette found its way into her mouth as she hobbled out of her kitchen to call that little _son of a bastard_ \- she wasn't a _bitch._

When he didn't answer the phone, she _knew._ The whole family would _know._ She took a long drag and left a heated message:

 _Ben, it's your mother. I would like to know why you were with that girl instead of attending the council meeting and recreational party. Secondly, I want to know what in the literal hell you are doing with a girl that happened to be missing. You better call me back the second you get this, or my foot is going to be so far up your ass. And I love you. Let me know you're alright._

She clutched the phone to her chest replaying the broadcast in her mind. This wasn't a good scenario. Not at all.

She took another drag of her cigarette and looked towards the moon and sighed.

"He's going to be the death of me, I know it."


	3. Frenzy

AN: Manda711; thank you! I appreciate you taking a minute to comment! I actually wrote this for the Reylo Monster Week challenge, but decided to post it like a month early. Haha. I've been having the best time writing this story, and I always appreciate feedback! Thank you again and happy reading!

As soon as the cameras stopped rolling, Amilyn tossed her heels on the pavement and grabbed warm slippers from the back of the van. "Jesus Christ, this is top tier misogyny. They wouldn't make Cassian wear peeptoe high heels in forty degree weather."

"Is that really what's important to you, right now?" Poe barked, holding Finn's hand as the police assisted them on a report.

She shot him a dark look and shook her curled hair. She was an investigative journalist, of course she wasn't going to sit on her ass and complain about cold feet and _not find justice._

"Do I need to remind you, Dameron, that I was the chief of Police in the Alderaan district for 12 years. We had several run ins when you were younger, and you know about my moral compass."

Poe rolled his eyes and pecked Finn's worried face. "It doesn't matter so much to me what you did or what you're doing now. What matters to me is that girl, and this man right here and his well being."

Holdo let out a sigh as she stepped closer, wrapping herself deeper into her coat. "They're going to do everything they can to find Ms. Johnson, Mr. Dameron." She pulled him to the side, her voice low and methodic. "That doesn't mean that everything will be fine. There's a chance that she'll end up like the others, or she'll be a Lycan herself. I know that you don't want to hear either of those things, nor does loverboy over there, but that's the reality that you're looking at right now. And I'm deeply sorry for that possibility."

Poe searched her face, brushing a hand over his five o'clock shadow. His bleary eyes were sore as they rolled over Finn's frantic form as he _pleaded_ with the officers to send his Bit home.

They seemed concerned enough to sit him in the back seat of the flashing SUV and give him a bottle of water; truthfully it did nothing but dampen his mood even more.

Finn dared to look at the sprawling claw marks and bloody smears on the pavement. They were lined with chalk and wired with blinding yellow tape. As he sipped on the water, he cleared his throat.

The tip Rey had given about her encounter had been anonymous. He found himself sick to his stomach with anxiousness and resolve to _tell the truth_ and notify them that she may have been one of _them._

He shook his head as his teeth nearly drew blood in his lip. "Excuse me, but I have more information to give." Finn was met by Poe's dark eyes and Holdo's stern expression as an officer paddled over from the Corolla.

Poe swallowed, " Is this about _that?"_ He asked in earnest, finding only a nod in response. Finn was taken away to the other side of the squad vehicle and broke down.

"Was she the girl from two weeks ago?" Holdo asked, clicking her tongue as she thought aloud.

Poe closed his eyes. "Unfortunately." He checked the time on his phone and glowered at the hour. Even he knew better than to be out alone.

 _ **While the treacherous witching hour approached**_ \- _the time where most of the sightings and reports of damage and acts came -_ Rey huddled beneath a tattered dog blanket she stole from someone's yard. She was apparently a _thief_ now, too. It would look stellar on her long list of achievements.

Maybe it was making things worse by avoiding the inevitable and going home. But she didn't, and it was causing her to slowly reconsider the longer she spent outside in the elements.

The blanket absolutely reeked of the Saint Bernard that used it before her. It made her sick to her stomach. It was a pungent odor beyond what she was used to smelling, and it made it hard to not rub it all over her body to produce a slightly more tolerable scent.

The further she walked, the more scents she picked up. It made her head spin until she came close to Takodana Avenue. Ben's particular redolence was faint, but it caused her senses to heighten and tingle. Her saliva excretions overwhelmed her mouth.

It had taken little effort to swallow it down until she felt it watering more and more as she tracked his spoor. Instincts guided her blindly, leaving her human thoughts in the background of her consciousness. Rey had given up fighting this fact, and found herself rather daft in this effort.

His smell was hot, and warm as she slipped behind the builds to not be detected. The last thing she needed was someone finding her. She knew she needed medical care for her wound, but she made it this far without it and couldn't exactly explain what had happened to her when she wasn't sure herself.

 _You do know,_ Rey grimaced, zipping down a treelined street nearby. Her eyes caught sight of a small grey house and the array of smells seemed to evaporate as one, singular bouquet overtook her.

 _We've found him. Home. Home._

Rey internally screamed at the return of that damned voice. It was far more reserved than earlier, but it still irked her that she was there.

"That's not home, and you bloody know it. Stop being such a bossy twat. I don't know what you made me do earlier, and I'm still mad at you for it." Rey said aloud, not realizing she was technically having a conversation with herself.

 _You were free. You did what you wanted._

Rey looked repulsed by this, staring down at the damp ground as she trudged on bare feet over pine needles and rocks. The soles of her feet were tender and sore by the time she slipped onto the little wooden porch.

It smelled so like him outside that she nearly forgot how miserably noisme she and the blanket were. She hadn't even been able to knock on the door before it opened.

The disgusting blanket wrapped even tighter to her body as she glanced up at Ben's expression. His toothbrush peeked out of the corner of his mouth as he wasted no time pulling her inside.

"Go take a bath." He said plainly. He, himself, had obviously done so as his dark hair was slicked back and damp.

"I don't even get a well check?" Rey scowled, wriggling her toes against the boring beige carpet. "You're not even a little surprised I'm here are you?"

"No and no. We have a lot to talk about." Ben said, trying to brush his teeth as he guided her to the bathroom down the hall. He walked in before her rinsed his mouth while Rey inspected the wooden walls and inhaled all of the masculine odors wafting through the house.

 _God, she wanted to rub her face on the carpet if she could smell like - no. No. No. No._

It was riddled with him and she absolved to it, sinking into a trance like state for a moment before he snapped his fingers.

 _So good. Be a good girl._

"Hey! It's yours. Go. I'll bring you something to wear. You look like you're freezing."

Rey inhaled sharply, raising her eyes to meet his. That same flush kissing her cheeks as she nervously skirted away from him. He had turned on the shower and left a clean towel on the blue tiled counter.

She couldn't remember what he said when he shut the door, leaving her staring at her own reflection in the mirror. It was like looking into someone else's eyes, and seeing a different face; one with bruises and a bloodied mat of hair. Her hand quivered as it touched the knot that lined her forehead. She hissed at it as she finally broke down and cried.

Rey cried like she did when she was beaten on the streets by the shop owner in Jakku. She held her breath for a moment before finally stepping in the warm shower. It stung her wounds but she was finally free of that canine stench that warped her sense of smell.

Now, she smelled like the autumn should. Ben's soaps were mild enough not to overwhelm her, but they were clean and strong enough to remind her who they belonged to.

The blood in her hair took a while to work out, but when it was gone, she relaxed. It was like washing away another person; the same one from the mirror. And the towel was soft enough to cradle the lacerations on her face.

Ben knocked softly at the door, asking if she was decent. For a moment she stood with her fingers on the brassy knob before she turned it, sticking her hand out.

 _At least he's sort of courteous._ She mused, taking the clothes.

When she shut the door, she held them for a moment and grinned to herself. He had put them in the dryer to warm them. They felt good on her body as she wriggled beneath the flannel. It was so large on her it fit like a dress and she rolled down his boxers to make them fit a little better.

Rey hated this. Under any other circumstance it would have been easy to care for him, but she didn't know him. Little bits here and there and this _thing -_ whatever this _thing_ was- wasn't exactly the best way to get to know someone.

When she made it down the hall, the smell of hot tea permeating in the kitchen and something sweet that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

It was obvious he lived alone due to the impeccable cleanliness. She took a seat on his boring looking black couch and curled up in a blanket. It was obvious he slept here. It was heavy with his scent as she _did_ rub his blanket over her face before catching herself.

All of the blinds had been closed, she noticed. Ben popped his head out for a moment, mostly to catch a glimpse of her as she awkwardly moved about.

"So, I had a very interesting night. I could see that you did, too." Ben said as he sat a cup of tea on his polished oak coffee table.

He sat across from her in a well loved recliner, inspecting her wound. Kylo urged him to clean her wound. It wasn't clean enough for his tastes, yet Ben remained in control.

Rey sipped her tea, "I had an accident and then everything went to absolute shit. I ended up in a field about 5 miles from where I started and then I tracked you down. Because apparently I can do that, _among other things -mind you."_ She paused feeling the voice itching to say something to her. "And thus stupid, nonsensical nagging I've been hearing is driving me absolutely mad!"

She breathed. "And, I'm fairly certain there's a shit show at home and on the news."

Ben propped his head in his hand. "It is an absolute shit show. The police came by to speak with me earlier in the evening, since _someone_ reported that you were with me at the Cantina."

He rolled his dark eyes.

"Then my mother called. That was a treat."

Rey stiffened. Her heart rated accelerated. "Wh-what happened?"

"Nothing. I'm in politics. I'm good at snaking my way around things." He sighed, "The most important thing is for you to make your choice. You can either to home, or you can stay here. I know you don't know me, but I can't promise that you'll be safe here. I wouldn't outright lie to you."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked around the house. She _felt_ safe enough, but the panic overwhelmed her once more. Her mind fell into the wrong place. "You're going to try to kill me again, aren't you?"

She shot to her feet and made a run for the front door. Ben quickly followed her, covering more ground with his long gait. As she opened the door, he slammed it shut. His arm held it closed above her head as his eyes drifted down to her worrisome expression.

He panted, catching his breath. "No. That isn't what I meant." Black wavy tendrils hung like a curtain about his face.

Rey did her best to stay still, not allowing her eyes to fall further than his eyes. "I'm in trouble."

He nodded, "Yes. Yes, you are."

The sound of his voice radiated through her causing her muscles to tighten. She licked her lips absently, which he noticed. Up close, he could see the patterns of her freckles as they stood in the door way's warm light.

She smelled intoxicating and looked so helpless in clothes far too big for her. Rey was in over her head, and he hated that he would be no good to her.

"If you leave, you're going to blackout again. When that happens, your instincts will kick in and you will have to control it. You have to overcome it. You need a teacher." Ben rasped, slowly lowering his arm.

"Am I..." Rey paused, not wanting to admit to herself than she had been wrong, or that she was in denial of what she was. Or what she would become, how she would even begin to explain _what_ she was to the people she loved.

"Go on. Say it."

Tears creased in the corners of her eyes. Her old life was gone. That life had been taken for granted and she felt sick at the notion that it had been terrible until now.

"Am I a _werewolf?"_ She asked in an incredibly small voice.

Ben gave her a little breathing room and stepped back, much to his dismay. "I'm afraid you're heading there. You may not ever do it again, but you'll never be just _human."_

Rey rubbed her sore, tired eyes with the back of her hand. Processing this took a lot more effort than she was capable of, and it translated into insatiable vexation.

"How can you sleep at night _knowing_ that _you_ did this to me?" Rey strangled, pushing him against his chest.

" _I didn't."_ His hands slicked through his hair as he tore his vision from her. "Did _you_ do whatever in hell you did when you were in the blackout? Or did _it?_ "

Rey chewed at her lip, ringing her hands together. "I-I don't know. You said you had control of it. Of course I'll blame you."

Ben scoffed at this, "Sometimes, you can still lose control when you're hosting. It doesn't exactly work like you think it does. It isn't some dead genetic trait you can medicate. You're infected by a parasite. That's where Skywalker and I disagree."

He appeared more surly than before, slighted with a dangerous glare that made her wilt.

"Go to sleep. You can take the spare room, my room, the sofa. It doesn't matter. I have to figure out how to prevent them from finding you until you have control. If the others get to you, then you'll be in for a ride you don't want to be on." Ben continued, heading back towards the living room to sit in his chair.

 _Listen. Submit. Submit._

Rey closed her eyes and felt that voice rumbling inside of her. She wasn't a submissive person, and she refused to believe that she would ever be.

"As exhausted as I am, I don't think I could even think of sleeping." She said.

Ben rolled his eyes and glowered slightly. His sour seriousness made her smirk to herself. He was boyish in that way, but overtly masculine in all others despite his awkwardness. A trait she, _herself,_ found endearing.

"How long can I stay here undetected?" She blurted, shuffling to the backside of the sofa.

"Not long. My mother has a house in Dantooine. You could stay there." His expression read of deep displeasure at the mention of his overbearing mother.

"Does she-?"

"Of course, she knows." His wide fingers gestured as he yawned.

Rey's own yawn followed. Her arms outstretched and tense as she stretched. Ben watched her through his lashes.

He bit the inside of his jaw, hiding the seating urge to pull her into him. Her fragrance was stout and feminine in his nose. Every bit of him suppressed Kylo.

 _Go to Kira. I want. I want the omega,_ Kylo chimed. Ben internally struggled against his growls of protest when human fingers gripped the arms of his leather recliner. It was like grounding a live wire as soon as Rey resigned to the guest bedroom. Sleep would keep her mind from racing back to Finn and her friends and their worry, so long as she could curb her own.

Part of him thanked the Maker for giving him that tiny bit of luck that she had actually heeded his advice. It was easier than he originally thought to get her compliance.

His head fell into cupped hands, "This is fucking something, isn't it, Kylo?" He whispered almost inaudibly.

 _I found her. She is what we need. Cannot kill._

Ben smirked against his palms, wishing to erase the entire episode. He rocked quietly in his chair as though it would ease the anxiety building in his veins.

It was almost pathetic how badly he wanted to crawl into that bed and ravage her. Though, in the human world it was so sorely frowned upon to be promiscuous. Truth be told, Ben was always very particular and his wants came as an afterthought until Kylo came along.

He wondered if Rey felt the same. Surely, the intense, heady musk she emitted was proof enough, but he was uncertain if Rey was being guided by parasitism.

Only time would tell.

Taking advantage of her naivety to this peculiar condition would be a poor and disgusting way to introduce her to her new life. It would sully his hands more than his politics and he felt ill even _thinking_ of her being anything more than a pupil, or a newfound companion to curb his own personal loneliness.

A tart taste swelled in his mouth. He had already made an ass out of himself for asking to kiss her. A sigh erupted from his throat as he recoiled in embarassment.

She didn't know that he tore through the gated Canto Bight community before consuming stray cats. She didn't know that Kylo pissed on someone carport like a dog, or that he _killed - Rey didn't need to know what he had done._

Ben began to pace. His fingers ran around the collar of his sweatshirt. He would be forced to call his mother. Kylo was just as afraid of Ben's mother as he was.

It was definitely one way to keep the beast at bay. The other was the sheer mention of the campaign or politics in general. It wasn't even something Ben was privy to. He more or less went through the motions to mask certain parts of his heritage; one being the erasure of his lineage to _Han Solo._

It wasn't Ben's fault his father was a smooth talking embezzler. It _may_ have been _his_ fault that Han got caught, but that was neither here nor there.

This was just another PR nightmare that Leia would have to clean up, and he reached in his pocket for his phone. It was almost 5 A.M.

Knowing Leia, she probably hadn't slept.

He pressed his thumb on the contact and mentally prepared him as she picked up on the first ring.

"It's about damn time, _Benjamin._ " She said groggily, "Did you do this?"

His hand rubbed the back of his neck. "No, we didn't hurt the girl."

Leia breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Every broadcast has her picture plastered all over the screen. The man she lives with is utter shambles. Do you know where she is?"

Kylo barked in the back of his mind, _lie. Lie. Lie._ However, Ben's silence gave enough of an answer that his mother already _knew._

"You have got to be kidding me." He could almost see her hand swathe across her wrinkled face. "Is she _shifting_?"

"I think she has once. This is my fault. I feel responsible for this. I swear I didn't mark her, or exchange-" Ben paused cringing at the words coming out of his mouth.

Leia already knew what he meant. There was a stout awkwardness that bristled in her voice. "Well then. None of that surprises me, Ben. You will either be shot on sight or arrested and once you're arrested, you can say hello to your father in the Detention Level."

 _Every fucking time._

She wasn't about to guilt trip him over this. Again, he would scream to the rooftops and _howl_ it to the moon that he was not the responsible for the actions of others.

"I didn't call you back to be persecuted. You have to stop being so angry with me. We will get nowhere."

"Quit acting like this is a witch hunt. I'm just trying to protect you and that little girl, Rey. I'm going to contact your Uncle."

 _No. No. No. Absolutely fucking not._

"I know that you and Luke aren't on speaking terms, but Ben, _please_ let me help her. It's _something_ and she'll be safe there." Leia's voice unwound and seemed more pleading than irate.

"Would she really be safe there, mom?" Ben sighed, flashing a self deprecating smile in disbelief.

Leia relented, "Safer than she is with you, Benny."

He grunted in displeasure at this.

"And, if you had known her for more than five minutes, I might feel differently. Look how long it took you to be responsible. She's 22 years old, you're in your thirties. You've had _years_ to learn some sort of restraint."

"Only because Grandfather Ana-"

" _Do not bring up your grandfather, so help me God, Benjamin Ren Solo."_ She snapped.

"Fucking fine." He brooded. "I'll talk to her when she wakes up."

Leia became less tense, and the sound of a Virginia Slim menthol 100 hissed through the speaker. "You're a good boy, Ben. Tell Kylo I _need_ him to be a good boy, too."

"For Christ's sake, mom."

"One more thing," she said, lowering her tone. "Was she the one? Is Rey the _omega?"_

 _"Mom."_ Ben kicked at the end table leg as he looked down the hall.

"I'm just saying it would be nice for you to have an actual relationship." She smirked into the phone, making light of the situation.

"Just _please_ stop." He begged. "You know they'll kill her if they find her."

"Then send her to Luke." She snapped, hanging up the phone with a firm grip on her phone. It left Ben brushing a hand over his face.

He remembered what it was like for him. And he certainly _did not_ want the same near torturous experience for her. Though, as he crept down the hall, inhaling her scent from outside the guest room, he knew there was no other option.


	4. Imbalance

AN: thank you guys so much! I'm trying to write and post frequently to get the ball rolling on this little guy. I also post simultaneously on AO3 in case you see it there, too! I've got a little treat for everyone in this chapter, because slow burn stories are hard and we need gratification now. Haha. Happy reading!

Rey shot out of bed in a state of panic. Her hands splayed across her drool soaked face and brushed away the residual film of sleep. A faint orange glow danced outside of the window and she tried desperately to gauge the time. Everything was dim, dark and still obscenely foreign as she bristled beneath loose clothing.

She couldn't grasp how much time had passed as her eyes finally found a clock. It read an abysmally late time and she scowled as set set the clock back down on the nightstand. There was no trace of the voice burdening her and she sighed in relief at that.

Her nose twitched as a sneeze rippled through her. It was a new smell that was familial and close to Ben's; not enough so to be his, but similar in blood. Rey rolled her eyes at this. She slowly untucked herself from bed and slipped into the bathroom, where she brushed her hair and borrowed his tooth brush - _she wasn't above having clean teeth at any cost._

Especially if there was someone there, she wasn't about to offend them with the sticky plume of what she could only equate to being akin to dog breath. It was disgusting.

She quickly checked the mirror and examined the bruising had turned dark and yellow. If she had been more alert, maybe she would have panicked more than she was. Yet, the overwhelming warmth of Ben's aroma wrapped around her senses, making her feel fuzzy. It was like he was her own bottle of Ativan.

In the kitchen, she found Leia dressed in a matching velvet tracksuit with her hair pulled loosely in a bun. Her cigarettes rested on the table and the air held the stale smell of the ashtray next to her.

Ben leaned against the counter, making a lot of coffee.

Rey chewed at her lip, holding herself as she quietly intruded. Leia smiled warmly at her, patting the chair beside her. "Don't be afraid of me. I'm sure Ben already told you how unbearable I am."

He rolled his eyes, "I don't think I would have to tell anyone."

"Zip it, Ben."

Rey grinned to herself as Ben plopped a full cup of coffee in front of her. She didn't really care to drink it, but she was desperate for any liquid to even remotely try and combat her insatiable thirst.

"So, Rey, I don't know how you feel about these kinds of things, but I had my assistant go and pick up some clothes for you." Leia said, reaching for a cigarette as snapped her fingers at Ben, "Benny, I left them in the SUV. Keys are in my purse in the living room."

Rey looked down, keeping her head low. No one ever made any sort of fuss over her, and this sent a wave of red down her cheeks. "I appreciate it very much. I'm really embarrassed right now. It's very thoughtful of you."

"Don't be shy. Everything is going to be okay. I've been through a lot of shit with _that one_ and I'm sure you'll be okay." Leia patted Rey on the shoulder, inspecting her face as she took a drag off her smoke. When the girl wrinkled her nose, it was quickly extinguished out of consideration.

"Now, here we go!"

When the bags crinkled against the table, Leia _insisted_ Ben go pick up something to eat from the market down the street. The poor girl must have been absolutely _starving._ She was so thin! Of course, at her core, she was a mother and everyone had to be fed.

Rey had been careful to avoid even looking at Ben the entire time she had been awake. Her senses were a bit overloaded as the grip her sleep held was slowly starting to dissipate.

The girl side-eyed him as he grunted and stormed out in irritation. When the door shut, Leia pushed the bag towards Rey with hopefulness.

"I didn't know what size you wore, so I just guessed. Take what you want and I'll donate the rest somewhere. You're a pretty little thing, and I think you deserve better than a dingey old flannel."

Rey hesitantly pulled out some jeans and sweaters and inspected the colors. They were certainly nicer than anything she had ever owned, and it made her eyes burn with tears.

Leia shushed her and shook her head, "Little girl, if you don't like them I can-"

"No!" Rey waved, smelling how clean and new the fabric was. "Thank you. I've never had anything this - _Jesus Christ, this was expensive._ "

Leia choked a little on her tea. "I don't have anyone to spoil anymore. No one that wants my doting. Besides, it's not like Ben will ever settled down and have children." She slithered that one in just to see Rey stiffen and hide her face nervously.

"He's a very decent person." Rey breathed, not daring to mention how badly she had wanted to accept the invitation for that kiss. _No, she didn't accept it because she didn't want it. He only asked because it was the heat of the moment, dammit. "_ I'm sure he's going to find someone he's keen on and give you some grandchildren."

Leia smirked. Apparently, Ben got that particular habit from both sides of the family. Rey noticed some of his softer features came from his mother, down to the pallor of his skin. She let out a sigh as Leia proceeded to push a bag from a boutique at her as well as a burner flip phone for emergencies.

No one had ever welcomed her like this. She wasn't sure she was more afraid of being a _werewolf_ or being accepted so openly. Finn had had to let their friendship blossom before she even really _allowed_ him anything close to doting privileges.

A frown etched itself on the girl's face as she finally did let a few tears escape. "God, I want my friends to know I'm okay." She sniveled, "I can only imagine how Finn is feeling right now. I care about him so much. I just want to be able to go home."

Leia furrowed her brows, soothing her as her hands gently brushed loose tendrils of hair from Rey's face. "Honey, it's going to be alright. We're going to take care of this. You need to figure out how to handle this mess, and I'm going to do the same for you that I did for Ben. Your friends are going to be alright. If you go home now, they'll be in jeopardy and so will you."

Rey staggered a breath as she looked at the woman's face, "I'm a monster. They'll hurt me won't they?"

Leia was silent as Ben stumbled through the door. A paper bag dangled from his mouth as his arms tried to gather bags. She sat and watched him, bemused. Despite this, she gave Rey's hand a soft squeeze in response.

"You're not a monster." Ben grumbled as he shucked the bags on the counter, shoving a roll in his mouth.

"No, but _you are._ Son, you have no manners."

"Yes, I do." He garbled as he chewed his food.

Rey rubbed her eyes and grabbed some of the clothes to change as she laughed. It was the first time in weeks she honestly had, and it relieved her in a way she didn't think anyone could fathom.

Dinner was actually a relief in itself and her fondness of Leia was noticeable. Ben recoiled from most of it as he sipped a beer in almost silence.

He noticed Rey beamed, even with her bruises and scrapes, in the burgundy sweater. She'd forgotten to remove the size tag and it made him smirk. Even with the new smell, she still made the whole room more fragrant. And with a pair of beady eyes boring holes into him, he knew that his mother's intuition was better than Kylo's.

She also said as much beneath her breath.

Leia said _other things,_ but neither party seemed inclined to entertain her. At the end, her famed seriousness and silver tongue came lashing out; simmering down the tension she felt roiling in the room.

"So, now that Rey and I are acquainted, I would like to offer you resources." She said calmly.

Rey picked at the last of her bread, furrowing her brows as she listened. She tried her best not to act as ravenous as she was. Truth be told, hunger was synonymous with her name. Being a blood thirsty shifter wouldn't change that fact at all.

"I understand that you have an awareness of who Luke Skywalker is, yes?"

Rey nodded, ignoring Ben's less than enthusiastic expression.

"I've read _Therianthropic Whills."_ She said. "I've been trying to find his other literature. It's been really helpful to me, actually."

Ben bit his tongue. He didn't want to ruin this for his mother. She just _had_ to save the day with her brilliant and thoughtful martyism.

Part of him thanked her for distracting him from his instincts and wanting nothing more than to crawl across the table and- _Christ, Ben, get your shit together and stop this shit._

 _Kylo isn't even here right now. This is_ your _problem._

He excused himself while Rey watched him skulking out of the room. She went slack against the chair, _praying_ that she could get out of here before she did something she would regret.

She had been so aloof that Leia's voice had sounded static.

"... _would you like that?"_ Drew her out of her hypnosis and she blindly agreed.

"Very much." Rey smiled brightly.

"Great! I'll call Luke and arrange for your trip. We have to-"

" _The Luke?"_ The girl exclaimed.

"Yes. Were you listening or?" Leia gestured.

Rey feigned interest and nodded as she stood clean up the mess they had made. "Honestly, I was but I _wasn't."_ Guilt ate at her as the woman muttered something beneath her breath. Her hearing was astoundingly sharp, but Leia's voice was an almost inaudible jumbling of sound.

She was sure it had something to do with Ben, who now paced his porch.

"I'm going to send you to my _brother,_ Luke's, for a little while until you can get yourself under control. Is that okay with you?" Leia reiterated.

"Absolutely." Rey said, tossing the paper in the rubbish bin. "I'm sorry, I'm just not all here right now. I have a lot on my mind."

"Luke will teach you how to calm your beast. Do you know its name?"

"No." She said softly, briefly meeting eyes with Ben from the window. Her heart skipped a beat as she averted her gaze back to the older woman as she gathered her things.

"Soon enough you'll know. But, I am going to go before I drown in the sexual tension." Leia choked knowingly. "Keep your Nokia on you. I'll contact you in a day or two. The faster we can move you, the better. No one lives out in Dagobah anymore and I think you'll be fine for a while there. At least until all of this settles. As far as your friends, I'll handle that so you aren't involved."

Leia smiled wide at the look of horror on Rey's face. She wasn't sure if it was the fact she had agreed to go to Dagobah or if being called out on an obvious fact was more damning than she was willing to admit. She knew it was the latter for Ben, whom she winked at as he glowered from the porch.

He grimaced watching her climb into her SUV and peel out of the driveway, leaving him alone with _her._ The tension in his chest was expunged by the very breath he was holding as he exhaled. A hand bristled through his hair as he saw Rey standing in the doorway.

"She's great, isn't she?" Ben bit sarcastically as the cool night air soothed the heat blistering his cheeks.

"I can see why people are afraid of her. She's like a tiny capsule of energy and disdain. I liked her. She's very sweet and opinionated." Rey smirked, watching Ben's eyes shimmer with an indescribable emotion.

It was dark, but the pale floodlights crawled over his features denoting the depth of the scar she gave him. She wanted to lean over and run her tongue along the- _not now. Not now. No. Never. I do not want him at all and_ you _need to quit trying to make me._

Scolding her inner voice would have been easier if it had _actually been there._ Rey wriggled in place, "I'm fairly certain I shouldn't be out here right now."

Ben shrugged, "You shouldn't. But, don't you feel how nice it is to breathe out here? There's no one here right now. I'll know if anyone's coming, so why don't you just enjoy it for a minute?"

He didn't want to out right ask her to keep him company, but he did crave her closeness; her sweetness enveloping him if nothing else. Part of him wondered how long she would deny herself of her desires. He picked up on her attraction the day they met.

Well, the day they were both _human._

It was selfish of him, but even if Kylo hadn't careened into her, Rey would have been in more trouble had he found her first.

When stepped out onto the porch, bare feet creaked across the wooden boards making her toes curl at the cold. "I love the fall. It's my favorite season and I'm really fucking mad that _someone_ kind of ruined it for me."

Ben smirked at her from the stoop. "Eventually you'll stop blaming me for it and accept how nice it is to smell things you wouldn't notice, and feel things differently. There's a sick kind of freedom in being overly repressed by being a _monster._ As you called it, anyway."

Rey leaned against the railing, staring out into the small wooded community and marveled at how the trees swayed at the edge of his driveway. "I feel like my life ended and I don't know how to handle being _dead._ I know I'm alive and I have to keep living, but my voice is muted to everyone else."

Ben's heart broke at this. He looked up at her with such wonder, and he followed her trail of vision to the dying trees. "I think you have to remember than despite this, you're not alone."

Rey smirked, biting her lip at how the universe could design a hell like this. She cast a quick glance to Ben in her resolve. "Neither are you." She said quietly, flashing a sad smile as she turned to walk away.

His large hand grabbed hers and she stilled. Her eyes searched his face and felt the same electricity in her fingers as she had the first time he awoke something in her.

 _Now. Now. Now. Have him. He belongs to you._

That damned voice sunk its claws into her brain, damaging the waves as they tried to make any sense. She felt euphoria roll through her veins as a cold shudder rippled through the ladder of her spine.

She blindly pulled at him to follow her, to be closer to her. That voice called again, nagging her to do as she was told. Submission was not her forte, and Rey struggled against the urge as Ben stood tall before her.

"Rey, I can't take this anymore." His voice sounded so distant, as though she was submerged beneath the wave of heat consuming her.

His eyes bore into her, like the creature she encountered in the forest. She wanted to ignore its presence, but her own darkness, her own _monster_ steeped her blood with unfamiliar carnal vicissitude . "What is it that you can't take, Ben?" She breathed, daring him as she stepped a little closer.

 _Mark him. Bite. Bite._

Teeth perilously flashed at her in the dark, as he lowered his face close to hers. " _You._ I _need_ to touch you." He whispered. The low reverberation in his chest signified his own beast had arisen, and Rey parted her lips as she tried to restrain whatever her voice urged.

 _Be good for Alpha. Submit. Submit. Do not fight him._

" _Please._ I just need to _once."_ Every molecule in his being became a volitale amalgam of he and Kylo. He could suppress it as much as it wanted, but it was an unavoidable fact. Rey's arousal was obvious as his senses heightened. The tension in his own muscles strained his movement as he felt the warmth of her breath on his throat.

Those eyes saw through him and it silenced the rustling leaves and distant hum of cars sprawling the nearby highway. All he saw and heard was her.

Rey took a step back to diffuse the wanton desire throbbing in the lowest points of her abdomen. She had never felt anything like this. Her hands shook as they found strength enough to touch his face.

His mouth parted, latching onto her wrist. It startled her at how hot his mouth was upon her flesh. She gasped at the way his tongue slicked over the tendons and sucked on the veins. Courage pushes her closer, allowing their personal space to collide.

Her mouth pressed against that sweet spot on his throat, devouring pheromones as if it were a drug. She was ravenous, and consumed him. Fingers tied themselves in his hair as she rubbed her face against the crook of his shoulder. "God, you smell so fucking good." She murmured as his large hands tore her way.

They quickly found their way into her hair, winding against her scalp as he stumbled forward. Her back pressed against the siding, painfully aware of her body and his. He panted desperately searching her eyes. "Are you going to be a good girl and submit?" He asked, finding a tempestuous glare in response.

"No." She breathed as his teeth nipped at her lip. She could barely contain her breath, the vibrations in her bones as she fought back. Her inner demon howled like a banshee and she could only imagine what his had done.

Her eyes fell shut as his mouth crashed down on hers. She opened for him, allowing him to search the lines of her teeth. He tasted like the forest, like the kindling of a fire and the very essence of something she _craved._

Ben's body pressed against hers. The cold long forgotten as the distant clatter of wind chimes sang from somewhere along his street. Somehow, even Kylo became inoculated by her and he submitted to Kira's dominant traits. A gasp escaped him as his forehead fell against hers. The particular bouquet of her want consumed him, his eyes stern and formidable as his brushed his cheek against hers.

"I want to do awful things to you." He whispered, biting her earlobe. "I've wanted to do this as soon as I saw you." A murmur of his beating heart passed through her as she dug her nails into his sides, raising his buttoned shirt over his ribs.

She was so close to breaking. So close to that same euphoria that combed through her biological structure and dismantled it.

 _Ours!,_ her voice exclaimed. Rey believed it for a moment as Ben arched into her, trailing his teeth along her collar. She welcomed it.

Before his teeth could end this frenzied, hormonal promenade, he let go of her. Rey felt her own consciousness seize her and released him in response. Her hands touched her lips as she caught her breath, raising her line of vision to meet his troublesome eyes.

Ben cast her the same look as the night before. This time, there was more worry etched into the monolith of his face. A long, deep breath modulated the sound in the air. He inhaled sharply, turning towards his yard and Rey found herself doing the same.

 _Not safe._ The beast whispered, _protect the alpha._

Rey held Ben's arms grab her, lifting her with no effort as he threw her inside. He bristled by her, slamming the door behind him.

 _Not_ _safe_ _ **.**_

Another voice chimed. Rey held her head as a resurgent pain rifled through her mind. It was an acute pulsation that drove her to the edge of insanity. She panted against terse muscle as it _begged_ to unfurl.

 _Run_ _ **.**_ _They're_ _coming_ _ **.**_

It grunted as Ben frantically dug through a coat closet for his gun. He pulled it out, setting it beside Rey who watched on in an entranced state. Nothing seemed tangible or real in that room. Vacancy read across her face as her hands flexed against growing talon like nails.

Eyes rolled back in her head and blood began draining from her nose. Ben turned and caught her before she hit the floor.

That was the last thing she remembered before the _blackout_ devoured her. Ben quickly stripped her. He looked away the best he could. Modesty wasn't important right now, and he tossed her clothing to the side as he pulled a blanket atop her.

Rey writhed and struggled against the floor as her body became something different entirely. It was slow, visual anguish to watch another person grow within the confines of their own crysalis state. It was repulsive to see such a beautiful creature become a copper haired beast clamoring on the floor.

Ben scowled Kylo for his own encouragement, and be hissed at the sound of a female voice in his head- _pushing, pushing, pushing._

 _Become you're real self. Be with her._

It suggested, leaving Ben fighting against himself as _Rey,_ or some semblance of her, tore through his house as he scurried to escape. He ran to the basement door at the end of the hall, slamming it closed in front of her as he bolted the locks.

He flipped the switch and stumbled to his safe space and collapsed within himself. He immediately clawed at the cinder walls and cracked bone as his body betrayed him.

Ben closed his eyes. _He could control this._ It didn't matter how insatiable Kylo thought the Omega's scent was. He rolled upon the frigid cement floors, tossing and turning.

The patterning of claws grating against the wooden floor, and furniture being slid from one end to the other, bombarded his senses. Ben reached for a box in the corner and removed a silver bullet that he crushed between his teeth.

Kylo fucking hated it. He struggled for dominance over Ben's body and mind as the threat of being injured made him cower. The pads of his fingers blistered upon contact as a warning.

 _He_ _is_ _coming_ _ **.**_ _His_ _scent_ _is_ _close_ _ **.**_

"I could fucking tell!" Ben rasped, "We have time. It was just on the wind!" He flailed, slowly getting the beast to back down.

When it was over, he lay panting on the floor as he stared at the ceiling. He listened intently to the destructive pattering until it eventually stopped completely.

The silver bullet was spat back into the box. It seemed like a good idea to take it up the stairs as he assessed the damages. For such a small _were,_ Rey had done an absolute number on his house. She was as aggressive as a small dog, and he sighed at the blinds on the floor and shredded chair.

He was lucky she hadn't escaped, but it left him with an idea of what kind of terror she would be if this persisted. Quietly, he trailed her to his bedroom where he found her naked, curled up atop the comforter.

Rey had fallen asleep, which had been more of a blessing than anything. For a moment, Ben sat beside her, folding the blanket over her bare body to keep her safe and secure.

The box sat beside the bed in case she had another episode, but it seemed better to have protection against the roaming creatures. One, in particular, stood out like a sore thumb. He smelled like death and looked like he was one day from it. The assumption that he'd found out about Rey was just another nail in the coffin.

Ben clenched his jaw at this.

 _Protect the Omega._ Kylo reminded him, as if it was warranted. Ben rolled his eyes. He needed to get away from this girl before she got him killed.

He stood in the aftermath and let out a frustrated sigh. Cleaning this mess up was just another night, he supposed. It was just harder knowing that there was an abatis in his way.

The gun lay on the floor and the coffee table was split in two. Maybe he should call Luke himself, or maybe take a cold shower to erase a fraction of the feelings still left over from the incident on the porch.

Ben grimaced, knowing full well that they would not be able to coexist without consequence.


	5. Creatures of Habit

_**AN:**_ __ _Thank you guys again for being supportive! Tough Spirit, thank you so much! I'm really ready to get into the smutty side of this. After writing Inuyasha fanfiction for centuries, I'm super into these dynamics. PS: that's how I feel about Rey's character in this too. ;)_

 _Happy reading!_

The twenty-seventh of October marker exactly three weeks since the _incident._ Rey was slowly acclimating to her new senses, and the way her body thrummed in time with Ben's. She had kept her distance, spilling over _Shifter_ literatures until Leia had made good of her promise.

The Senator had been very serious when she said no one lived in Dagobah, and that left her shellshocked that she had _meant_ it. Luke was off-putting at first. He had a strange house in the middle of the bayou that he took care of, and it looked like it had been dilapidated for some time.

Their initial meeting had been awkward to say the very least, and Leia took the reigns and steered the hermit out of a sour mood. Rey liked him, but the way his grizzly beard dangled into his stews and caught crumbs at dinner was nauseating.

She had seen exactly why Ben had amassed such disdain for the aging vagabond. A frown tugged at her lips as she swept the linoleum tiles. It would have been better for her psyche had Ben took this journey with her, but he declined feverishly.

The last night she had stayed at his house, marked four consecutive nights she had transformed. Ben, being the methodical person he is, took it upon himself to wrestling her to the ground when _Kira_ came out and clamping a .925 silver collar on her neck. It didn't burn in the way she thought it would, but it left a nasty little blister around her throat - _among other things she wasn't aware of._

It definitely was something Kira wasn't privy to, just like Rey definitely wasn't keen on having to swallow her pride and admit that Ben was the _alpha._

 _Especially when he put that collar neck and pet her stupid ears._

Her mind wandered listlessly as Luke stumbled in with a bag of turnips. Rey could smell both from a mile away, and she was surprised to say the very least. It was a far cry from the masculinity and zest that was rampant at Ben's. _Jesus, why couldn't she shake him. That_ one _kiss utterly decimated her senses._

"I see you've been going crazy in here. Not crazy enough to let out the wolf, I see." Luke chided, brushing a hand through his wiry hair.

Rey bristled at this, wiping down the once polished porcelain counter. She had found out his friend, and colleague owned the house and had since passed of old age.

"I've been here long enough for you to have shown me _something, anything,_ really." Rey scowled, ringing out the dirty rag. She made the house at least half way hospitable. At least it didn't stink of an elderly Border Collie and depression anymore. Now, it just reeked of less than savory vegetables and bok choy soup.

"You have no patience, just like _Ben."_ He grumbled as he took a seat at the oak table. Readers fell upon his face as he pulled one of his books from a stack. "I see you've read the _Art of Mysticisms and Other Sacred Texts."_

"What else was I supposed to do?" She crossed her arms, tapping a foot in anxiousness. _Clearly think about Ben all day?_

Luke furrowed his brows, "Why do you disassociate so much? Is _she_ coming? Do you hear her?"

Rey chewed at her lip, "No, actually. I just have a lot on my mind. And a history of mental illness. "

"Clear it. Forget about your heavy mindedness for a moment and _breathe._ I don't think you have since you got here, and I doubt you've taken a moment to just exist since you've been infected." He said sharply, licking his fingers to flip through the pages of his book. " _Here."_

His finger pointed to a passage that Rey had missed earlier in her skimming. She took a seat beside him and took the book.

 _\- "_ _ **Living with Your Beast;**_

 _Most individuals stricken with parasitism will notice that their consciousness is an amalgam of their other_ face. _It is to be noted that some therians, or Lycan specific breeds, are a singular unit. They work in tandem as though their wills and minds are insynch, never noticing a distinction between the two._

 _Those afflicted with separated personality should be aware of specific hierarchies and/or chain of command._

 _The_ Alpha _will choose a desirable_ Omega _to coexist if he or she is capable of maintaining certain social cues in their pack; should one exist._

 _Conscience over consciousness depends on the depth of infection and the differential sides of the coin. One half may be able to function without the other personality, while the parasite (or coded analogue) may only exist when the host is threatened, aroused, or experiencing any instinctual signals_

 _Societal standards confer that parasitism is akin to newly labeled DID. It is not infact a mental illness amongst the infected. It is an actual division. The inner beast harvests knowledge unbeknownst to the host, and acts upon pure impulse when signaled by the_ Alpha.

 _The_ Omega _suffers more loss of control due, in part, to the desire to submit and protect the partner. It is often noted that the dominant personality will create a new consciousness within the host, and lead to rudimentary episodes of telepathy._ This _fact is only recording in a fraction of cases. It should be taken as myth rather than fact._

 _Lunar cycles_ do _cause manic episodes during regular transformation cycles. Some Lycanthropes, in particular, are more susceptible to the calendar than other species. Though, Lycans prove fickle and may change at any given time due to circumstance, but are most certainly not excluded._

Rey inhaled deeply, raising her eyes to see an almost ominous glare from her _teacher._ Words were one thing, but the lessons in this book did not compensate for the _feelings_ that came with being a _Lycan._

For a moment, she wondered if Luke was one himself. With the infinite amount of knowledge, it was almost damning. She couldn't pick up the scent of a shifter upon him, and his odor seemed to be stagnant - _like the musty bogs littering the property._

 _"_ Where can I find out how to undo this? Tame it, suppress it, _anything_ to make me somewhat _normal?_ I have people worried sick about me. I don't have to see the broadcasts to know that they're still looking for me." She said astutely, gauging his defensive reaction.

"You will never be the same. You have to open yourself to the possibilities that you've been given. It sounds terrifying on paper, but once you find your rhythm and your partner, it will become easier." He said, sipping on a glass of milk. He drank two glasses every night.

"What if I don't want a partner?" She crossed her arms. It had been a nightmare at Ben's. Her hormones, or _her beast's hormones,_ were causing more problems than they were worth.

Luke smirked, "Then idle alone."

"I don't understand why there's such a pressure, even as a bloody _werewolf,_ to find a partner."

His eyes gleaned with bemusement; the same as Leia's had. "You're a bit of a spitfire. No wonder you couldn't hack it at Ben's." Whatever he had _actually_ meant didn't matter. Rey skirted out of the chair, knocking down as her hands slammed against the table top.

She closed her eyes as her beast's voice permeated. It was faint, but still there. She clawed at Rey as though she could regain control.

" _You do not talk to me about that."_ Her voice bristled with a thick rasp. Her jaw clenched tight as she tried to show restraint as fear scrawled across Luke's face.

He read the dilation in her pupils, the grating claw marks on the table, and the disarray that she left in her wake. She had just as much of it in her as Ben. Luke reclined, easing away as though not to provoke her.

"Don't do this, Rey." Luke warned.

She smirked, jerking with foreign movements. She was losing control. Where was that collar when she needed it?

A snarl rumbled through the kitchen as she violently overturned the table. She stood over look at his chair clattered to the floor.

Her human body flexed and _ached._ The parts of her that were still conscious of her own voice and own conscienceness, latched on to _anything_ that might subdue her.

She sniffed the air and picked out the metallic tang of silver. Rey bolted, leaving Luke shaking his head as he hobbled towards the cutlery drawer. "Please don't make me do this."

The sound of her body hitting the floor was enough for him to rip the drawer off of his hinges. He dumped it out on the counter and searched through the forks and knives until he found a small, broken shard of silver.

He glanced to the living room and found her gone, save for knocked over furniture. The door was wide open and a howl ripped through the air.

If he could only allow himself to change. Just once. He had gone so long masking his scent with the filth and stench of the swampy terrain.

Yet as he felt the silver in his palm sting, he knew that he couldn't. It would undo a lifetimes worth of work. Some people were damned to this existence, and he thought better of himself.

For a while, he tracked Rey's whereabouts by the distance of her cries. She was still close and would be easy enough to find. There were only so many places she could have gone and if he lost her, he knew she would turn up in a day or two. Leia would be sorely disappointed that he had allowed this _again._

She preached to him often about allowing himself to be who and what he was, when all he did with his life was to suppress the carnal instinct in others. Rey was _not_ an _Omega_. Her beast was of her own design, and wouldn't allow it to be anything other than the _Alpha._

Luke shook his head. He wasn't going to let it happen again. Taking a moment to breathe, he smelled the impending rain and trudged out the door.

 _ **The flickering orange glow of lights rained down on the Tatooine intersection,**_ leaving Ben scowling as he wretched at the sent of a certain Swedish Lapphund.

"You need a bath just about as bad as your mom did." He grimaced, hanging onto a loose leash. He was still skittish of the man that rescued him from the kill shelter - _after an entire day of tracking the bastard's spoor._

Ben shoved his hands in his pockets as he followed a familiar path to the park. He had tried in vain to find Niney, and today had been his lucky day. On his walks, he attempted to sniff him out, but was met by a scent too faint to even follow. The idea to go to the Niima Shelter was his mother's idea.

Of course, since Niney was amongst the free world again, Leia would spout her famous _I told you so's_ and simultaneously rub _Rey's excitement_ in his face. As if trying to push her out of his mind wasn't hard enough, he was stuck with this dumb mutt and a nose full of wet animal odor.

Ben sighed at that, as well as the illuminated ghosts lining the gates of a subdivision. He let Niney lead the way, his paws pattering merrily against the sidewalk.

The big black dog waged his tale, making Ben roll his eyes. _He was okay._ Kylo hadn't made a big deal out of him, either. It was the first time there hadn't been an outright pissing contest for dominance.

Though, as they made the final pass to an inlaid apartment complex, Ben tugged on the leash. He inhaled the smell of _that man_ that overwhelmed the car Rey had driven. Kylo showed his presence then, but only for a moment. It made Niney wilt slightly before barking ferociously at the man.

He knelt down and took a deep breath. "First of all, you're being rude. I could have left you there to be put down, but I _didn't."_

Niney looked back with one eye. He tried to growl before Ben snapped his fingers. "You don't have to say that." He continued each time the dog made a noise. The residents probably thought he was absolutely mad, or _endearing._ He smirked in hopes for the latter.

A sigh burst from his chest as he stared at the rows of buildings. He didn't need Niney to lead him to the very top floor of Building T7, unit 2187.

For a moment, he shook off any nervousness. He probably shouldn't have even been there, but it seemed like a good enough idea. It would take one worry off of Rey's shoulders, and one bad deed off of his incredibly long list of insufferableness.

Clearing his throat, he gently rapped on the door. Niney tangled around his legs, whimpering and _talking_ as they both heard faint, ghost like footsteps. Ben sniffed the air and felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He internally scolded Kylo and stamped down the urge to rip into this other male as the door parted.

" _You."_ Finn said darkly, feeling his heart rate increase. He wanted to come through the door. "What do you want? How did you find this place?" Obvious answer to an obvious question.

"I, uh, actually brought you a present." Ben's mouth pressed into an unamused line as he handed Finn the leash. "I went to the shelter and found him today."

His expression lit up for the first time in weeks. Immediately, Finn's hands pressed onto Niney's excited face as though he came home from war.

 _Niney was the goodest boy. Bestest bud. Dumbest faced stealth dog._

An awkwardness rippled between them as Ben nodded, excusing himself. Finn continued to pet the Lapphund before sending the man a morose glance. Guilt feverishly steeped his mind and crumbled in his chest. "Thank you, Mr. Solo. I'm sorry for being so short with you. I've just not been the same since Rey's been gone."

Ben gripped the railing and turned, shuddering at the chill in the air. "Neither have I." He admitted, biting his lip as he tried to walk away again. It was to no avail, and he ended up hunkered down in the musty sofa and stacks of empty boxes that were shoved to the side.

Trauma did a lot of things to people. Some cleaned obsessively, some slept, some binged and left their mess as a cry for help. As Ben sipped on a beer, he figured that a _cry for help_ was an understatement.

His own cry for help came when he found the notes of Rey's smell buried beneath the mess and masculine perfumes. His eyes almost rolled back in his head. It had been hard to keep up with the callow conversation he and Finn had.

But, part of him _knew_ that the man had tabs on him. It was a simple fact that had no other resolution. Finn's dark eyes punctured him with the sort of disdain of a prosecutor servicing justice to a criminal. There was an unspoken acknowledgment between him, and neither would open their mouthes.

The only difference was that Ben knew where Rey was. Finn hadn't the foggiest idea that-

"So, your mother is Leia Organa-Solo?"

 _Jesus Christ, mom._

 _"_ Yes." Ben glowered, staring at the credits scrawling across the television.

Finn grinned crookedly, his dark skin warm in the yellow living room light. It was the first time he cracked a smile in a while. He elbowed Ben slightly, "At least you got a mom. She seems like a lot to handle."

Ben smirked, taking another swig. "You wouldn't even begin to believe."

"Her assistant contacted me to at least let me know that Rey is safe for now. I didn't want to go to the police, because I've had to come to terms with all of the possibilities." He breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to stop a wave of emotion from sinking his facade beneath it. "It was the first time I've been able to actually sleep in days."

Ben nodded, "She's definitely not going to be the same."

"I know. I'm just worried my Bit won't be able to come back home."

 _Mine. Mine. Mine._

Ben clenched his jaw. This wasn't the place for this. "I have to go." He breathed, almost knocking his beer down as his head fell into his hands.

Finn furrowed his brows as Ben's behavior became more erratic. He began pacing as he looked towards the door, leaving the man on the couch perplexed.

 _She is ours. Mine. Show him, alpha._

Holding back a scream, Ben shook his head. It clicked in Finn's mind and he jumped to his feet. "Holy shit!"

 _Calm down. I don't like this anymore than you do,_ Ben scolded his beast. It was a desperate attempt to stop the overflowing imbalances in his molecules. It was a rising sensation that took his breath.

 _She belongs to us. Kill. Kill._

Ben staggered around the couch. "Look, I can explain all of this-"

Just then, Poe walked in the door with a bouquet of roses as he popped his keys on the catch-all. "Baby, I got you something. I know its not much, but- _aye, it's you!"_

Niney barged into Poe's knees, jumping at clattering as Ben sucked in a tight breath. It made sense. Everything slowly diffused. Finn pressed his hands to his head, closing his eyes as his heart leapt into his throat.

"Where'd the big guy come from?" Poe cooed, patting Niney's big ears as he danced in a circle about his feet.

"From _that_ big guy." Finn pointed to Ben who looked like he had ridden a rollercoaster.

Poe eyed him for a moment, "I know you, don't I?"

"He's Leia Organa's son."

"Oh, that's right! Better keep yourself low. I've seen you all over the news. That Amilyn has been saying some nasty shit." Poe chided, waving off the situation cluelessly.

Finn swallowed and took a minute to calm down as his boyfriend handed him his flowers. A kiss hit his temple softly. "Remember what I said. Take your medication and sit down and I'll clean everything up. Whenever all of this settles down, were going on a vacation."

Ben took a step back, looking as dumb as a confused dog. Kylo rumbled in his consciousness, doing much of the same. They were a handsome couple, and it made him think back to the porch.

His teeth sank into his lip at the thought. Everything else seemed to tune itself out, leaving him roiling in the past; even for that one flittering moment of contentment.

It was a relief that Kylo recoiled and tucked his tail between his legs. He didn't do well with admitting he was wrong, instinctually or otherwise. It still didn't help that he had been ignoring the fragrant wafts of _her_ everywhere. She consumed him even when she wasn't around.

He listened to the bickering couple in the room before Poe turned to him and gestured towards Rey's room. "Look man, I know there's some shit going on right now. I know this is hard for you, too. We're all gonna figure it out."

"Understatements are really not my forte," Ben remarked, "I don't know how much you know. If you need to go to the police-"

"I'm taking care of this _myself._ All I know, is that we _know_ Rey is somewhat okayish. And we got Niney back, and you're a son of a bitch and I disagree with all of your politics, but it will be okay. I don't know what the hell you are, either, as far as the police are concerned." Poe rambled, cleaning up the dirty apartment.

"Baby, you gotta eat something other than pizza." He muttered, leaving Finn embarrassed as Ben took in the paintings on the wall.

"Rey did those." Finn said, "There's more in her room. You can go look." His eyes stayed trained on his boyfriend as if he was mystified by him, his eyes, his hair, his dashing smile. It made everything else in his life more bearable and he loved Poe for it.

Ben slid into Rey's room and shut the door behind him as he flipped on the light. He basked in it. Every fiber of his being screamed at the heady rush of want that pulsed through his senses.

 _Where is omega? We need omega,_ Kylo growled. Ben clenched his jaw, opening and closing his hands as his anxiousness to wrap himself in her scent became overwhelming. If either of her friends walked in, it would be over and their entire tune would change.

He wondered exactly what they had been told. Whatever it was, his mother surely has descalated the situation while he was trying not to fuck the poor girl.

He was disgusting.

 _No. You are alpha. You need to be bonded._

Ben rolled his eyes, running his fingers along a small desk with her watercolors. She painted galaxies, constellations, images of nothing and everything. It was how he felt being everything and being an abyss and everything in between that.

His eyes fell half lidded as he sat upon her twin bed. It was nothing more than a mattress on the floor that smelled like the summer. His hands splayed across the silky comforter and his face pressed against it.

Something stirred deep within him as he yearned for her closeness. His he could _taste_ her on his tongue and it caused him to harden. He reminded himself that he was lecherous, and the friction against his erection caused him to flinch.

Ben nuzzled his face into the mattress, clutching the sheets in his hands. She smelled so good. _So so good._

His ears picked up the rustling in the kitchen, and the new smell of whatever dish Poe attempted to cook. Ben swallowed hard, feeling his chest tightening. His hand slid over his jeans, bristling against himself as the sheet became entrenched between his teeth.

He _need_ her. Kylo was satisfied with the acknowledgment and Ben made a quiet strangled sound as he realized what he was doing. He pushed himself to his feet and brushed his hair back from his face.

 _What in the hell am I going to do?_ He trembled, finding his back against the bedroom wall. Quietly, he found a scarf laying beside the bed and stuffed it into his flannel.

Shaking his head, he cracked the window and let the cool air squelch the heat on his skin. He tried to think about anything else. It was then his mother called.

 _Sweet Jesus, thank you._

 _"_ Ben, go get your girlfriend." Leia's voice demanded. "I'm knee deep-"

 _That did it._

"Never say _knee deep_ to me again."

"I have birth to you! If I wanted to tell you what position I was in when I conceived you, _I will."_ She huffed.

Ben winced at the entire conversation. "But what's happened? Is she okay?" He whispered.

For once Leia fumbled with her words, "I, I don't know, Benny. Luke said it was an emergency."

He immediately tensed at this, "I do not want to see him or that god forsaken hellhole he's been living in."

"Ben, I would go if I wasn't unscrewing a situation. You _have_ to go. If you want to keep her safe in the long run, this what you're going to have to do. You're a god damned adult. Act like one."

Ben huffed, taking a deep breath flowered by her scent. " _Fine._ I'm in and out with her. I can't be seen with her at all."

"I'll take care of that. Just let me know where you are."

"Her apartment."

" _Ben. You know better!"_ He could hear her hands air-ringing his neck.

 _"_ I brought her dog home from the Niima Shelter." He cleared his throat, chewing at his lip. She better not start her shit.

"I told you so."


	6. Consumption

**AN:** Thank you guys again! Thank you to my reviewers!

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think. Y'all are great and I appreciate you immensely. Sorry it took me a little bit to get this posted. It's a pretty steamy chapter, if you know what I mean! Happy reading!

" _Good evening citizens of Naboo, I have a special broadcast for tonight's hour. We are going to be issuing safety tips from our Department of Safety, as well as precautionary measures in case you sustain an attack."_ Amilyn's voice beamed. " _We implore you to take these suggestions seriously. Halloween in just a few days away, and it's at the utmost importance to remain vigilant. A curfew will remain in place for the following cities. Please check the crawl at the bottom of your screens. Information will be updated as it comes in."_

 _ **Recent sighting areas:**_ _The Historical Ahch-to Block, Dantooine Commons, Alderaan Square, Ilum, the Mustafar-Corellia Industrial Campus, Jakku Railyard, and Dagobah Forest Preserve._

Amilyn glanced towards Cassian as he read off more information. His gruff exterior didn't quite match the softness of his voice. Viewers found him endearing, and he knew it.

 _"Thank you, Amilyn."_ He grinned, dark eyes glinting in the bright lights exuded from the teleprompter. " _In the most recent reports, we have been notified that children out after dark without parental guidance will be escorted home by authorities. They will be on the lookout and posted in high volume areas, and any areas of interest. Please be mindful of your surroundings as an officer will be providing silver tokens in case of sightings. We will be updating times-"_

Ben turned off his phone. He couldn't stand listening to their fear mongering. Despite the truth of it all, the one piece of information that mattered was the sighting in the Dagobah Preserve. A hand slid down his face as his mother's assistant took the last turn down an unmarked street. It was nothing more than a muddied gravel trail, in actuality.

His suspicions were confirmed by the broadcast and it made his anxiousness unbearable. Jyn, his mother's assistant, had driven like a bat out of Hell and he remembered why he never rode with her. She drove a plain second-generation pearly colored Prius. No one would think anything of her. Jyn and his mother were both nefarious, and the more nondescript their mischief became, the easier it was to get away with.

"You don't look so hot, Ben." She said, squinting at the mist that smeared across her windshield wipers.

"I would rather not be doing any of this right now." He muttered, staring at the ghostly vines and moss spilling from the trees. Dagobah was abhorrent. It smelled just as bad as he remembered.

Kylo whimpered at the newfound hint of Luke's aroma and he stiffened at this. Ben rubbed the back of his neck and grated his teeth until Rey's scent hit him harder than Jyn's foot hitting the brakes.

She pulled out her phone, raising her eyes in disinterest. "Leia said you had one hour. Fix it and go home."

Ben rolled his eyes. "She's being insanely unreasonable."

"I set a timer. You have 58 minutes." Jyn's older model iPhone shoved into his field of vision and he scowled at her. "Probably 57 minutes by now."

"Fucking hell."

The car door creaked as he shut it behind him. A gag, a grunt, and an insane amount of willpower guided him to the rickety porch. Knocking was as idiotic as his overloaded senses acted. Aside from Kylo's constant desire to emerge, Ben had his own human baggage to siphon.

He stole a breath before he walked inside the rundown house. Instaneously, he saw Rey hunkered down on the floor. Her hands tied together and her expression more unfavorably tart than the smell.

Luke stood at the sink cleaning his hands. "Well, well, well. Did you come to blow my house down?"

"I'm not entertaining you. Mom said that there was an emergency and that _I_ had to come and take care of it."

Ben glowered as he knelt down to untie Rey. She cognitively hadn't returned, and Kira's presence was still lingering in control. "He shoved a fucking shard of silver in me." She growled, struggling against Ben. Her face planted in his chest, inhaling the familiarity of his scent. The craving for it had been absolutely maddening.

 _Home. Home. He knows family,_ Kira indicated.

Rey pulled back slightly. "Niney?" Her eyes wide with delight as she nuzzled Ben's chest for a moment longer. She raised on her knees to look up at him with pleading eyes when he inched away.

Ben exhaled, trying to maintain himself. She looked so good begging to be freed. Submission looked appetizing, he mused.

 _I would make her listen,_ Kylo chastised as Ben shook his head. This _definitely_ was not worth the trouble.

"Oh? You found her dog?" Luke interjected, boring holes into his nephew knowingly. Reading the man was a precise art he had attuned as his nose fidgeted against the formidable zest Ben carried.

"I did, actually." He cleared his throat trying to focus on the task at hand. He hadn't the time to deal with Luke. That would be for another day when his mental capabilities could maintain the composure he needed to deal with his uncle's utter nonsense.

 _He is hiding,_ Kylo rumbled. _He is weak. You could finally kill him._

Ben smirked as he extended a hand to Rey. She rubbed her wrists as she sent a damning glare in Luke's direction. A bloodied swatch of skin puckered off of her left shoulder. It was obvious that she was cut by the silver and refused to heal properly. It looked worse than it actually was, and instinctually Ben licked his lips.

 _Omega needs to be well. Fix her. Fix her._ Kylo cried, knowing full well that he couldn't.

"You know how long I had to chase her? I had to track her down in the bogs in the rain, Ben. She's small but she's a hellion." He reached for his glass of milk. "Your mother didn't tell me she was so willful. _So much like you."_

Whether or not his words were supposed to cut, they did. Reminding him of the experiences he suffered under Luke's care, it wasn't wise for him to even be pulled into the same orbit.

Ben seethed at this. He raised up, standing tall over Rey as she pattered on muddied feet. She went to collect her bag and try to shake the things that had happened. Glancing at her arm, she let out a sigh. It hurt like absolute hell. It didn't hurt so badly now, but _Kira_ told her that it wouldn't last.

It would only stifle full transformations temporarily. Rey stopped, she looked over her shoulder in Ben's direction and wondered if Luke had _chipped_ him too as a way of subduing him; or culling the full scope of his capabilities in his _were_ form.

It was hard enough to cope with this change, and to be marked by such a lack of consideration burdened her mind. She stuffed her meager belongings into her backpack and took the opportunity to shove some of Luke's newest, unpublished works into her sack.

"I'm ready to go." Rey blurted as she hissed at the older man. Her eyes darted towards the door faster than her own feet could carry her. Her mind was on _fire._

Ben met her at the door after finishing a tense conversation with his Uncle. " _This isn't over."_ He muttered darkly, slamming the screen door behind them.

"See you around, kid." Luke chuckled. When they were out of the house, he wiped his mouth and walked to the other side of the kitchen. It only took a moment for him to find his pills carelessly tossed in the drawer and swallow them down.

Luke watched the car lights draw lines across the window before they peeled off over the crunching gravel. He leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes. The silence was all he needed. It let his mind rest, and hear the tiniest whisper of his own internalized voice.

A pleased expression hung on his face as he sighed quietly. _Please do not rid yourself of me._ The medication was working. Little by little, it slid layer after layer of his own parasite. It would never really be gone, _nothing ever really was,_ but it made living a little more bearable.

"Hush, honey. It'll all be over soon. You'll be separated and I'll be _me_ again." Luke resigned, a certain melancholy dredging his aged face. It took a level of discipline to remain _human,_ and it took being alone to accomplish it.

It would have been in vain, otherwise.

Ben never understood restraint to that degree, and almost basked in his own suffering. That kind of darkness wasn't just the parasite, but the entirety of the human mind being weak with _power,_ with a desire to be more than it was.

One day the kid would learn, and Luke smirked as he listened to the rain pattering against the roof. _You're never going to be free of what you really are. You are no better._ The voice swelled in a distant harrumph.

"Pfft. Shut it. I've been doing fine on my own." He retorted, shrugging it off to sit and read a newspaper in solitude. "Since your original host passed away, you haven't been the same. You would be better off being eradicated."

 _Is this really what you think of me? What you thought of her?_ It asked in a hushed tone, almost too distant to discern. The medication washed her away and Luke sighed, raising his hand to fondle a silver necklace under his collar.

"I would have never thought that way of her, but no matter how much a part of her you were, you are not Mara." He hummed. A frown trickled down his chin, "I just hope Ben doesn't make the same mistakes."

 _ **The car ride had been indescribably turbulent,**_ and Ben's anger seemed to cause most of it. He spouted off nonsense in a way Rey had never heard. It was off-putting that he was intelligent and handsome, and _this thing_ that repressed so much emotional baggage. It was entirely unclear how he carried it. Ignoring it seemed to be better than engaging his wildness, and neither girl wanted to test it in the small space.

Jyn smoked what seemed like half a pack of _Parliments_ before they made it back to the city in deflection. Rey dozed off at some point before she found herself being picked up by strong hands to which she deftly feigned sleep.

"You're an animal." The assistant said sharply, leaning over the seat as she handed Ben the girl's bag. "No wonder women are afraid of you, 'cept your Ma."

"Could you not?"

Jyn smirked, rolling her eyes. She was half glad to be rid of him. She swore she wasn't paid enough to put up with his bullshit and cleaning up his messes like a maid.

"I could have left you there and made you deal with it on your own." She said sharply.

"You would have had to deal with my mother, so I don't know which one of us would have been the loser in the scenario." Ben glowered.

"Oh, it's always you." Jyn snickered sarcastically as she reached over, slamming the passenger door shut.

He furrowed his brows at her before she pedaled off, turning on the radio for the first time. It blared in a static wave before she disappeared completely, leaving him to stumble up the stairs with Rey. She rustled slightly as he balanced the two of them.

As he unlocked the door, he gripped her a little tighter than he should have. Just _feeling_ her heart beating in her against his body made him tense. She was rousing and she shifted in his grasp as the warm, dry air of his own enveloped them.

He settled her onto the couch and she rubbed her tired eyes, "I smelled Finn on you. Is he okay?" She muttered groggily, stretching her sore limbs. A scowl blanched her expression with unease as she glanced at the laceration on her right arm. One of the new sweaters Leia purchased was ruined in the episode, and she sighed. _She really couldn't have nice things._

Ben ruffled his hair, "He knows your okay. You shouldn't contact him yet. We're going to have to be more careful about this, though." He said calmly, watching her walk down the hall.

Rey shot him a look before she went into the bathroom, "You know I don't like being told what to do, Ben." The door shut and the sound of water hissed in his eardrums.

His lumbering frame felt heavy and he slumped over the back of the sofa. It lingered with her scent and he relished it for just a moment. This had been a bad decision. Bringing the girl back here was going to drive him mad. It wasn't like it already hadn't.

Every aspect of his life had careened out of control within the span of a month. It didn't matter that dealt with his own personal demons, but it sure as hell mattered that he allowed that pseudo quasi _incubus_ living inside of him to have _any_ rights. He was accountable for his own actions, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He made a guttural sound into the cushions and raised when he smelled the fresh crispness of his soaps mixing with Rey's fragrance. It made his stomach lurch, remembering he had stolen her scarf just to inhale that peculiar flora.

Rey chose to wear one of his shirts. Again, it was far too large for her slight frame. She was flush and her cheeks were rich with color, unlike the absence in his own pallor. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, _to do,_ but it all came crashing down on him when Kylo began scrambling for attention.

Rey passed him, leaving him in shambles as he eyed her on her way to the fridge. She guzzled down his orange juice from the jug - _like the animal she was._

There was something about the stillness in that house that made him rattle. A pulse of anxiety roamed his veins as he found resolve. There was no inner peace, no calm inside of him. Suppressing his beast was becoming more and more of an effort, and allowing it to consume him seemed a much better option than letting it fester.

 _Wait for her,_ Kylo insisted. Ben furrowed his brows at this. _She will be ready. She needs it. I can smell it on her._

When the girl peeked around the corner, she held his gaze as if she has become the predator and he was her prey. Confusion ripened his face, and it was obvious to her.

If she could only hear his inner workings, she would have run.

Yet, there was something _different_ that punctured him. A strange unrest and wariness, to be exact. It felt as if it was _weakness._ He had never been so callow.

 _"_ Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, stepping foreword on those little bare feet.

"What happened tonight, Rey?" He asked, finding himself backing down from her. It was laughable how such a small thing could become so inmidating. "Can you remember anything during _blackout?"_

The placidness of her expression became ominous, as her eyes flashed with an unprecedented darkness. He knew in himself. It was what Luke had warned him about, "I remember little bits, actually. Nothing immediately before or after. All I remember after is _you."_

Ben outwardly tensed enough to make his own scent feather with a layer of concern and fear. His breath caught in his throat.

Rey's brows furrowed, leaving him a step further away. His hands gripped the buffet table against the wall as he leaned back upon it.

"I felt so many things. It didn't hurt like before. It came in a wave of _everything_ and then my teeth felt dirty, and my blood felt like poison. The moss beneath my feet was cold and the smell was so intense and _bad._ All I remember after was Luke wrestling me to the ground and this fucking scrap being stabbed into me." Rey whined, feeling Kira's disdain for her subjugation. Her fingers shot to the abrasion idly.

"Did he teach you anything of use, or are you willing to accept my offer to show you?" Ben questioned, watching her run her hands through her hair.

His mouth instinctively watered at the sight of the laceration. The briefest peek of her thighs caused him to redden. He was a hungry, hungry wolf.

"Not enough for me to have wasted my time like that. Is he like us, Ben?"

"In a way. He _was._ It seems like most of the men on the Skywalker side had the worst luck. It started with my grandfather, and then _him,_ and now me." He bristled, fidgeting his fingers against the table.

Rey looked at her feet, "It seems possible that it's hereditary, doesn't it? Do you think my children will be afflicted by this _?"_

Maybe it was the underlying sadness in her voice, but Ben softened and felt his apprehensions fall to the wayside.

 _Protect the Omega. She is hurt. Lick her wounds. Comfort. Please comfort._

"I suppose there have been cases, but they were all attacked. I guess _weres_ can sense and smell traces of others on _Nons_. I mean, I can't exactly get rid of my entire scent. It's like you smelling Niney, and Finn and your house on me. The spoor is always there."

She nodded in response, flashing a half smile. Even that fraction seemed to burn brighter than the sun. Ben smirked at her and let himself wrap himself in her aroma. He needed to stop perpetuating these affections.

However, the kiss they shared seemed to be eternally burned in his brain. Every time he licked his lips he swore he could taste her. And as her thumb absently pressed against her lips while she thought, he envied it. That could have been a part of him. _Any part._

Ben closed his eyes, "Look, we have to get this under control _now._ You need to go home. You need to return to your own life. I can lie to people all day long about things I only half believe in, because sometimes that's what happens when you're forced into politics. But, I want you to know, I will not lie to you and tell you this will be easy."

"I am very aware of that. I don't want to keep jumping from place to place, running from something that, frankly, terrifies me. It isn't that I am not getting used to this. I would rather work with my new body than against it." She said astutely.

Ben rolled his eyes. "Apparently, he did teach you something."

 _I could teach you more than you'll ever need. I could show you how to- Ben, get your shit together. You can't keep doing this. She isn't your partner. She isn't your Omega._

 _"_ I think..." Rey inched closer, taking a deep breath as she enclosed on his personal space. She stood so close he could feel her warmth, smell the heady wanton in her scent. "I think I know what I am _."_

Ben bit his lip. She watched him almost too eagerly as his shoulders arched. It was obviously a domineering trait and she challenged him. _Kira_ challenged his inner beast simultaneously.

 _"_ I think I know what you are, too." He breathed.

 _Do not let her dominate you. Show her she is an Omega,_ Kylo barked. _She is not the Alpha._

 _"_ What's the matter, Ben?" She asked, raising her eyes to meet his. Her hands wrung together. She had to feel skin, had to feel _something_ if she couldn't feel his.

"You know exactly what you're doing, Little Bird. You're gonna get caught up in this. If you don't stop, there will be consequences." He warned her, selfishly milling over the idea of her _finally_ submitting.

"I don't think I'm afraid of how you make me feel. I have to accept that. I don't know exactly who you are, but I've got a good enough idea now." Rey reached a shaky hand to his face, brushing his cheek.

 _Take him. Now. He won't hurt you. Sink your fangs into him. Own him._

That familiar inundation of heat built in her core. She swallowed, wanting nothing more than to bury herself in his chest and spread her fingers across his throat. Her teeth almost ached as she felt his hands latch onto her hips.

A parlous stare cut through her like the warm tone light bleeding from the kitchen. He was half bathed in it, and half swallowed by an all consuming darkness that melted into her. She tensed as his fingers threaded against her shirt.

" _Rey,_ need to understand that I will ruin you." Ben said, knowing it was too late. He could feel his blood boiling as he slid his hand along the curve of her waist.

A power courses through her in all of the places they contected. It was akin to blindness, without awareness of how to make sense or see the palpable urgency that lit the fire between them. Her mind bled with trepidation as Kira tried desperately to mill the wheel of her thoughts.

Each static movement over the fabric of her shirt made a new rippling sensation that shot to her core. Rey _yearned._ She had never wanted closeness with another person this badly, and her hands found themselves thrust against the wall behind him. She caged him, stalking him as he had her.

She looked up at him with a stern expression. The fear of losing the vigor of her impetus was far greater than Kira's irritable cries of confinement. Rey could blame it on her beast all she wanted, but it remained her own consciousness. It was inevitably her own self betrayal.

A loud breath rattled through her, "You already have."

Ben tried his best to disconnect. Kylo howled as if injured at the dominance Rey displayed. It was a challenge. _No. You do not bend. Claim her. Claim her._ He hissed at his host.

Despite this, his body was crushed by her weight. He loomed over her as his hands climbed her sides, over the length of her arms and finally crawled over her throat to her face. He held still, absorbing the volitale jolts of electricity that pulsed through his fingers.

"You're an awfully bad little thing. I could eat you up." He rumbled, feeling the girl's breasts warm his abdomen.

It was all he could do to not latch onto the supple flesh that was exposed to him. The pads of his fingers slid across her lips, and she welcomed them by running her tongue across them.

"Oh? I wish you would." A digit found its way into her mouth, and she grinned wickedly back at him.

"Don't keep tempting me, Rey." He breathed, closing his eyes as a faint gasp was stolen from his mouth.

Her hands clawed at the wall as she arched into him, inhaling his pheromones. It nearly caused her eyes to roll in the back of her head. _So fucking good._ She and her beast internally moaned. The wetness that slicked her thighs made her clench her muscles tighter.

She hated that her body betrayed her like this, even more so that Ben's made it so obvious that his had done the same. No one had ever _dared_ him like this. They knew little to nothing of his problem, and Rey seemed take advantage of the knowledge.

"Get on your knees." Rey respired.

Ben flashed a toothy grin in almost disbelief. "No." Kylo was frantically trying to fight him for control. He pawed and itched to put her in her place despite himself. Piloting the body was all on its owner. There was a hesitation still curing in his blood that made him flinch at the girl's strength.

Rey clenched her hand on his jaw, "Get on your knees for your _alpha."_

It was then Ben moved as though he were an assailant. He was brisk and abrasive as the girl was swept off her feet by the entirety of him. He wrapped an arm around her, taking her to the wooden floor. The impact made his knees hurt and surely her spine.

His forehead pressed to hers as a curtain of hair fell around them. " _I_ am the alpha." His mouth dragged across the side of her face as her fingers dug into his broad shoulders.

She was breathless, squirming against him as she tried to regain ascendancy. The cool of the floor was jarring, causing her exposed skin to ripen with gooseflesh. "Be careful, Ben. You might turn and I'll have to-"

"You need me too much to do a damn thing." His teeth clenched tight as he felt a familiar wave of pain crippled him briefly.

Rey snarled at this.

 _Let me out. I can fix this. Show her what you are. Show her._ Kylo asserted himself only to be denied again. Her scent overwhelmed his sensed, causing his muscles to ache.

A large hand pinned down her shoulder, as she stared out of the corner of her eye. Her lips pressed against the sweet spot on his wrist, nipping as his teeth worked against her throat. She melded with Kira, crossing consciousness as something roused within her. They were one, then.

The silver shrapnel in her arm _burned_ as the parasite growled in resentment for her imprisonment. She was deterred, wanting nothing more than to fight Kylo for what was rightfully _hers._

 _Ours. He belongs to us._

"God dammit." Rey hissed as his jeans grated on her bare thighs. His erection was thick against the denim, sending a shiver through her entire body. Her hips bucked against his and she mewled in response, biting down on his wrist.

Her scent was overwhelming. Her teeth felt like razors cutting into his skin and he blindly fell under her control. _"_ Harder. Mark me. Fucking god, do it _harder."_

Rey sucked on the spot until his arm gave out, eyes alive in the muted light as she stared through him; seeing the beast he really was. He didn't have to _shift_ for her to see the animalistic glint in his eye. She thrived on his pants, his pleads. It made her throb. She wanted his face buried in her, inhaling her and _tasting_ every tiny bit of her body.

"Show me. You wanted to teach me, didn't you?" She almost purred.

Ben felt her legs tighten around him as she managed to gain the upper hand. She rolled with him, struggling against his weight as she rested on his stomach.

"Restraint. Don't let her get the better of you. You need this, don't you?"

Her nails kneaded at his chest as she pinned him in place. " I'll never forgive you for _this."_ Her hips rolled across his hardness, eliciting the softest of sounds from her parted lips. "I hate that you make me feel this way. I want to _own_ you."

Ben toppled her, forcing her back to the floor as his hands frantically pushed up the hem of the shirt. Callused fingers gripped at her soft mounds, flicking coarsely across a beaded nipple. A hot tongue scorched her hip, feeling a palm holding her in place as her own fingers gripped to his hair.

He was _so close_ to the center of her heat, her slick cavern. She smelled sweet and he closed his eyes, "Tell me how you feel." Ben tested, mouthing at the edge of her cotton panties. They were damp and thick with her scent. He could have died there.

"Are you going to teach me a lesson if I don't?" She breathed.

"We'll see." He muttered, inhaling her. His mouth gravitated towards the inner most corner of her thigh. His teeth grazing it gently, lapping it with his tongue.

 _Restraint. Restraint. Mark her. Show her. No. You can't._ Ben grappled with Kylo. Rey bucked her hips to him _begging_ for attention.

She wanted his tongue buried deep within her, swallowing her flavour that was just for him. She felt sick that this had overcome her. There was nothing left but to devour him in return and she could bear it no longer.

Whatever this hormonal creature had sewn in her blood stream, she intended to take it and stitch herself together with _him._

"Bite me." She dared him. It was almost an inaudible command. "Do it, Ben. _Hurt me._ I want it."

"Sweetheart, do you _really_ want that?" His thumb slid over her clothes folds, making her yelp.

"Fucking god, _please. Anything."_ She whined against him. God, how she hated herself.

"Sweet little Omega, _beg for me."_ Ben left hot kisses along her covered entrance, savoring the way she tasted upon his tongue. He could feel her pulse ticking into that one finite bundle of nerves.

Rey tightened her grip on him, pushing his face closer to her body. Her hips ground against his open mouth, and she arched as her mind went blank.

She was gone.

She was lost somewhere in the rearrangement of her molecules. They tried to desperately to change, but failed, leaving her visceral and wild beneath him. Her human body rattled with an unprecedented wave of feeling and it caused a violent eruption within her.

There, he saw the darkness in her eyes when he glanced up at her from his position between her legs.

Rey slithered under him frantically. He hissed as she struggled to free him from his jeans, and growled at the buttons until she felt the smooth, rigid flesh she craved. It felt large in her hand and the whine that erupted from his lips sent shockwaves through her shared consciousness with Kira.

She turned on her back, running her tongue along the soft skin. Ben collapsed atop of her, grabbing her hips. He pushed away her panties and devoured her while she swallowed him inch by inch. He tasted like she imagined and she moaned against him.

The vibration of her voice hummed against him, making him involuntarily thrust into her wet mouth. She could have screamed as he spread his tongue along her clit, making her write.

She regained her power over him this way. She regained her strength and choices. Rey splayed her fingers over his thick, muscular thighs, trying not to choke on his length.

They had been on a collision course to this since the day that Kylo chose her, and their ignorance to their guides seemed to fall to the wayside as they consumed one another.

Heightened senses bred an insufferable, aching need to release. It bent and coiled with each move, each thrust, each new curve in exploration. Rey flinched, and whined in time with Ben, whose large hands encompassed her.

Denying her desires as a singular entity had been her own volition. As she felt him tighten in her mouth, ready to spill his hot seed into her throat, she sucked harder. Ben leveled her with the use of his meticulous fingers until they both collapsed within the confines of their own euphoria.

Rey wiped her mouth clean, satisfied by the zest and spice of his excretions. She felt the urgency to reach his face, press her mouth against in a violent, forceful kiss. She tasted herself on him and she reveled in it.

Ben brushed his fingers through her hair as the girl moved to that pulsing vein in his throat. She licked her lips, and sunk her teeth into the skin.

Ben gripped her, rolling his eyes in the back of his head as she marked him. He gasped, falling back on his knees.

 _Ours. Mine. Mine. Mine._

Rey lapped at the wound tenderly as she admired her work. Whatever spell had been cast was broken, and she tore herself from the afterglow.

"Jesus, I am so sorry Ben!"

He swallowed, letting shaky fingers trail over the wound as he stared at her swollen expression.

"You do realize what you've done, don't you?" He asked, still hazy with aftershocks. Ben reached for her, pulling her close in one fail swoop.

"I didn't listen to a damn thing Luke told me." She flushed, falling into his chest in embarassment.

"But _you_ did this. Kylo is going to have to get used to this." Ben bit his lip, tasting her remnants on his lips. His senses swelled with warmth as relished the amalgam of scents.

"Everything is so quiet in my head." Rey said, gripping to his disheveled shirt. "This is the most silence I've had since I ran into you. I can't believe _I_ made this mess."

Ben wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling her crown. "Believe me, it won't last. Nothing does. You have to go through your life with a facade of someone you don't know, but like _this_ you can be who you are."

"I stole the books." She muttered.

Ben twitched, "What books?"

"Luke's books on Therianism that he was working on." She grinned sheepishly.

"I think you should have been a fox, rather than a wolf considering how sly you are."

"Do you think it'll help me?" She bit her lip.

"Sweetheart, the more you know, the better off you are. I'm sorry I lost control and challenged you."

"Ben, I did this, remember? We're both _alphas,_ aren't we? Is that why I can't control my _were_ entity around you?"

"You realize that I'm _your_ alpha, now." He stated as he listened to the rumbling cry from his phone. It was obviously a warning and he doubted he would get any peace.

Rey frowned at the lost contact as he shifted to find his phone. He stated angrily at the red color crawling along the screen.

 _Another murder._

Not truly surprising. He glanced at Rey as she rubbed her arms. She stared vacantly out the kitchen window, wanting to run outside and roll around on the cool, damp grass. It was an itch that couldn't be scratched by heavy petting.

Figuring out who she was was harder now. Her eyes caught Ben _pacing,_ flexing his fingers in dismay at the news. She did something terrible but couldn't feel bad about it. Kira seemed to feel very much the same. Her smugness over her dominant traits was blatant and it made Rey scowl.

Ben called his mother and wandered down the hall leaving Rey alone in the dim light. Her fingers rang together in the weighted air.

 _She needed to go home._


End file.
